Data on Poverty in USA and the Greater Delta Over Time, 1960 to 2020

Posted on November 13, 2023 at 02:10 PM

Short List of Constructive Economic Policies and Poverty Data in the USA and Delta Region Over Time

Executive Summary

The basic trend has been a substantial, gradual decrease in poverty from the very high levels of 1959 to 2020. The pandemic will cause poverty to rise again but it will take time to develop exact figures.

1959: national poverty at 22%, Delta states ranging from 54% in Mississippi to 40% in Louisiana;

2019: national level at 11.5%, Delta states ranging from 19.2% in Mississippi to 12.9% in Alabama).

CONCLUSION IN A NUTSHELL: Poverty nationally was cut in half and Delta states poverty levels cut by almost two thirds by 2020, but that is relative to 1959, when US poverty levels were exorbitantly high for an industrialized country.

Poverty is clearly rising again recently due to the pandemic and then the end of pandemic aid.

Even the pandemic levels will be substantially lower than the exorbitant levels of the era before 1965.

Poverty is still higher in the USA than in many other industrialized countries and the Delta figures are higher than the national average.

Key initiatives for promoting economic development and reducing poverty:

There are many other valuable initiatives, but we need to focus on a manageable short list of priorities—this is one suggested list:

–Job creation at good wages. This is first and foremost, with small business development being essential, including a wide range of initiatives with examples of USDA rural development and other programs, Small Business Administration,

–Infrastructure: US Dept. of Transportation and other state and federal and state infrastructure initiatives that create jobs will improving transportation, housing and other infrastructure. Education and workforce development: This is the key to maintaining and creating good jobs, from K-12 to higher education;

–Health care for underserved populations;

–Hunger and nutrition—SNAP, WIC, school meals, and other USDA nutrition programs. NOTE: While SNAP is primarily the main bastion against hunger, it also has an economic multiplier impact, with each $1.00 spent by SNAP generating about $1.54 in economic activity.

–Delta Heritage tourism: these initiatives bring in tourist dollars while informing people of the region’s great historical and cultural story;

Delta Regional Authority budget is now approximately $30 million, its highest level after.

This contrasts with the situation in earlier decades: the DRA budget decreased to $5 or $6 million in the 2000s, then gradually rose through the years to $12 million and eventually $30 million. This is a modest budget but is supplemental to all the other federal and state programs.

Poverty in the USA and the Greater Delta Region Over Time

1959        22%

1966        15%

2022      11.5%

There was a sharp reduction in poverty from 1959 to 1966 after the major Medicaid, Medicare and other constructive programs were created. Thereafter there were fluctuations with economic cycles and historical eras, but the poverty level did not return to the very high levels of 1959 and continued a general downward pattern until recently. The pandemic of course is making poverty increase currently.        Note: Columbia University adjusted more strictly for historical inflation and found that poverty was 26% in 1967 and 16% in 2012.

      The likelihood is that Columbia is more precise, but all of these are estimates; adding approximately 4 percentage points to most of the US government figures to more closely align with Columbia is likely to be a more accurate estimate.

The Netherlands poverty rate in 2023 is only 4.8%.

The Dutch are one of the very few countries with a safety net strong enough to keep poverty very low. There is no reason the USA and other countries cannot follow their example.

Comparative note on poverty figures for other industrialized economies in 2021 according to Statista:

United Kingdom 11.2% Germany 10.9% France 8.4%

Summary of Delta poverty levels

Fundamental conclusion: poverty in the Delta by 2019 had greatly declined as compared with the 1960 levels, although the 1960 levels were alarmingly high.

–In 1960 the heartland Delta states had exceedingly high poverty
ranging from Mississippi over half at 54.5%; Arkansas at 47.5%, Alabama at 42.5% and Louisiana at 40%.

–By 2019 all the states had improved substantially as compared to the high levels of 1960: Mississippi at 19.2%, Louisiana at 17.9%; Arkansas at 14.1%, and Alabama at 12.9.%

–In 1960 the six heartland Delta states states had very high poverty ranging from 54.5% in Mississippi to 40% in Louisiana;

–By 1980, Mississippi’s poverty had declined to 24.3% and the others were close to 20 or 21%;

–By 1990, poverty had in most states not changed much from 1980 and ranged from 16.9% in Tennessee to 25.7% in Mississippi;

–By 2000, all six states had improved substantially to 12.6% in Kentucky and Louisiana, 14.9% in Mississippi and the highest was Arkansas at 16.5% (Arkansas was not the highest in all other years so this was an exception);

–In 2010, poverty had risen again after the 2007-08 recession: with Arkansas the lowest at 15.3% and Mississippi the highest at 22.5%;

–By 2019 there was substantial improvement with Mississippi improving somewhat to 19.2%, Arkansas at 14.1%, Tennessee at 13.1% and Alabama lowest at 12.9%;

The pandemic is driving poverty levels higher once again. Poverty levels are combined averages over about three years to be accurate, so getting accurate very recent figures is a challenge, but reports from food banks, hunger and nutrition advocates and others report alarming increases.

Poverty data for the six Delta heartland states over time:

Arkansas:

1960 47.5%

1970 27.8%

1980 21.5%

1990 19.6%

2000 16.5%

2010 15.3%

2019 14.1%

Alabama

1960 42.5%

1970 25,4%

1980 21.2%

1990 19.2%

2000 13.3%

2010 17.2%

2019 12.9%

Kentucky

1980 19.3%

1990 17.3%

2000 12.6%

2010 17.7%

2019 13.6%

Louisiana

1980 20.3%

1990 23.6%

2000 12.6%

2010 21.5%

2019 17.9%

Mississippi

1960 54.5%

1980 24.3%

1990 25.7%

2000 14.9%

2010 22.5%

2019 19.2%

Tennessee

1980

19.6%

1990

16.9%

2000

13.5%

2010

16.7%

2019

13.1%

Note on the statistical sources: (Illinois and Missouri are not included because their Delta areas are relatively small parts of these states, and significant, large non-Delta areas in those two states are relatively much more prosperous than the Delta heartland. Statewide figures in those states as a whole would be quite substantially at variance with the Delta areas. )

There are variations in all the states, and the Delta areas generally have somewhat higher poverty rates than the rest of the state. But Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana have large Delta areas including over half of those states; western Kentucky and western Tennessee are Delta areas, but there are also economically distressed areas in those states in the eastern Appalachian areas. The Alabama Black Belt is generally more economically distressed than the rest of the state, but there are substantial areas of economic distress outside the Black Belt as well. Statistics for these states provide a broadly accurate general picture of the situations there.

Sources are the US Census and federal government at data.gov; World Bank; Eurostat from the European Commission; Columbia University. There are some differences in the statistics but the basic trends are broadly similar for most of the sources. All of these figures are estimates, although they are likely to give fairly close projections of the real environment.

Exception: Columbia University finds poverty to be significantly higher because it adjusts more strictly for historical inflation. We include both results where feasible, but it is likely that adding 3 to 4 percentage points to the government officials to make them more closely align with the Columbia estimates will reach the most accurate estimate.

Latest Draft of Delta Caucus Agenda for Nov. 16-17, 2023 Meeting at Little Rock Comfort Inn Presidential

Posted on November 09, 2023 at 04:57 PM

Delta Grassroots Caucus Nov. 9, 2023

Latest Draft of Agenda of Delta Grassroots Caucus, Nov. 16-17, 2023 in Little Rock

Below is the latest draft of the agenda for the Nov. 16-17, 2023 Delta Caucus in Little Rock at the Comfort Inn Presidential Dean/MacArthur Room.

Address of Comfort Inn Presidential Dean/MacArthur Room is 707 Interstate 30, Little Rock, AR 72202

Lee Powell has a bad case of the flu and can’t make it this time around. We have asked Vice President Blanche Hunt of Arkansas Northeastern College, Billy McFarland of the nonprofit ESP Police Support League in Alabama, and a couple of other partners to help move along the speakers, just in case a speaker or panel goes on too long, although with our brilliantly concise speakers we can’t imagine that happening!

If you just follow the order of the agenda we don’t need much if any moderating.

Note: We do not have long, formal introductions to save time and avoid unnecessary formality, especially for a smaller-scale group of about 40 people or so. We would prefer for speakers to briefly introduce themselves.

This meeting is important as we try to get people back in the habit of attending in-person conferences after the hiatus caused by the pandemic.

We plan to return to a larger-scale conference at the Clinton Library (if available) or another prominent Little Rock venue in the spring of 2023, date and time TBD in late 2023 or early 2024.

We will follow the order of speakers and times as listed on the agenda. If anyone needs to move the speakers along, we have asked a few people including Vice President Blanche Hunt of Arkansas Northeastern College and a couple of others to just diplomatically ask the speakers to move ahead.

There is some flexibility built into the schedule and we don’t have to stick exactly to the agenda by the second, although we need to be close to it. Thanks—Lee Powell, Delta Caucus ​​_

Delta Grassroots Caucus Agenda

Nov. 16-17, 2023 Meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas

Comfort Inn Presidential Dean/MacArthur Room

Opening Session, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.–Substantive Session; then informal networking and dinner, 7 p.m. to 7:50 p.m. or so

Vice President Blanche Hunt, Arkansas Northeastern College, general moderator

5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.–Hunger, Nutrition and Smaller-Scale Farmers Initiatives

5:30 p.m. to 5;40 p.m.–Dorothy Grady Scarbrough, Mississippians Engaged in Greener Agriculture (MEGA), Shelby, Mississippi

5:40 to 5:50 p.m. p.m.–Heather Coller, Engagement Coordinator, Southeast Missouri Food Bank, Sikeston, Missouri

5:50 to 6 p.m.–Speakers regarding the in-door, year-round fresh produce project in Eudora Arkansas

6 p.m. to 6:10 p.m.–Joyce Elliott, Director of Get Loud Arkansas nonprofit and former senator, speaking about the LEARNS act and its impact on education in Arkansas

6:10 p.m. to 7 p.m.–Best Practices/Nonprofits in the Greater Delta

6: 10 p.m. to 6:20 p.m.–Billy McFarland, TSP Police Support League, Alabama

6:20 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.–Michelle Monse, King Foundation, operating in Arkansas and Texas

6:30 p.m. to 6:40 p.nAngela Scott, Memphis Inter-Faith Association (MIFA) based in Memphis, Tennessee

6:40 to 6:50 p.m.–Joel Evans, Delta Area Economic Opportunity Commission, based in Sikeston, Missouri

6:50 to 7 p.m.–Fredric Smith, East Arkansas Enterprise Community, based in Forrest City, Arkansas

7 p.m. to 8 p.m.–informal networking dinner at Comfort Inn Presidential Dean/MacArthur Room

Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, 9 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.

9 a.m. to 9:50 a.m.–Economic Development from Viewpoint of Local Elected Officials in the Delta

9 a.m. to 9:10 a.m.–Mayor Chuck Espy, Clarksdale, Mississippi

9 a.m. to 9”20 a.m.–Mayor Jaylen Smith of Earle, Arkansas

9:20 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.–Mayor Ora Stevens, Marianna, Arkansas

9:30 a.m. to 9:40 a.m.–Mayor Melisa Logan, Blytheville, Arkansas

9:40 to 9:50 a.m.–Mississippi County Judge John Alan Nelson

9:50 a.m. to 10:05 a.m.–Delta Heritage Tourism: The Sultana steam boat disaster

Judge John Fogleman (ret). The Sultana Disaster Museum is a project of the Sultana Historical Preservation Society, and John Fogleman is its president.

10:05 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.–Long-Term Perspectives on the Growth of the Delta Regional Authority

Wilson Golden, Presidential Appointee in the Clinton Administration; one of the managers of President Clinton’s Delta Regional Initiative along with Lee Powell and the late Al Eisenberg

Mike Marshall, former Alternate Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority

Questions and discussion about the DRA

10;30—10:45 a.m.–former Gov. JIm Folsom, Jr., of Alabama, on economic development for the Delta and Alabama Black Belt

10:45 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.–Education and Workforce Development in the Greater Delta

10:45 a.m. to 10:55 a.m.–Cody Behles, Director of Innovation and Research Development, University of Memphis

10:55 a.m. to 11:05 a.m.–President Chris Heigel and Vice President Blanche Hunt, Arkansas Northeastern College

11:05 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.–Brian Schweiger, National Park Service Little Rock Central High Historic Site

11:15 a.m. to 11: 30 a.m.–Ali Noland, attorney who filed lawsuit against Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ LEARNS education act in Arkansas

If time, we will have discussion. We have reserved time until noon so if there is discussion on this subject we should have some time.

Preliminary Agenda for Delta Caucus Meeting in Little Rock, Nov. 16-17, 2023

Posted on October 27, 2023 at 12:40 PM

We are sending a preliminary draft of the agenda for the Delta Caucus meeting at Comfort Inn Presidential Dean/MacArthur Room in Little Rock on Nov. 16-17, 2023.

It is a challenge to get people back in the habit of going to in-person meetings–except for those with only a few people–after the hiatus caused by the height of the pandemic. This is a medium-sized group of about 40 people.

This meeting should be a good springboard to getting back to larger-scale meetings in the 75 to 90 person range next year.

There will inevitably be a few minor changes to this list of speakers in the last few weeks before the meeting.

Thanks–Delta Caucus

Delta Grassroots Caucus

Agenda

Nov. 16-17, 2023 Meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas

Comfort Inn Presidential Dean/MacArthur Room

Opening Session, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.–Substantive Session; then informal networking and dinner, 7 p.m. to 7:50 p.m. or so

5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.–Hunger, Nutrition and Smaller-Scale Farmers

Lee Powell, Director, Delta Grassroots Caucus

Dorothy Grady Scarbrough, Mississippians Engaged in Greener Agriculture (MEGA), Shelby, Mississippi

Heather Coller, Engagement Coordinator, Southeast Missouri Food Bank, Sikeston, Missouri

Mayor T. Butler of Eudora, Arkansas and Johnny Pettis, in-door, year-round fresh produce project

6 p.m. to 6:10 p.m.–Joyce Elliott, Director of Get Loud Arkansas nonprofit and former senator, speaking about the LEARNS act and its impact on education in Arkansas

6 p.m. to 7 p.m.–Best Practices/Nonprofits in the Greater Delta

Michelle Monse, King Foundation, operating in Arkansas and Texas

Angela Scott, Memphis Inter-Faith Association (MIFA) based in Memphis, Tennessee

Joel Evans, Delta Area Economic Opportunity Commission, based in Sikeston, Missouri

Fredric Smith, East Arkansas Enterprise Community, based in Forrest City, Arkansas

Billy McFarland, TSP Police Support League, Alabama

7 p.m. to 8 p.m.–informal networking dinner at Comfort Inn Presidential Dean/MacArthur Room

Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, 9 a.m. to noon

9 a.m. to 9:50 a.m.–Economic Development from Viewpoint of Local Elected Officials in the Delta

Mayor Chuck Espy, Clarksdale, Mississippi

Mayor Jaylen Smith of Earle, Arkansas

Mayor Ora Stevens, Marianna, Arkansas

Mayor Melisa Logan, Blytheville, Arkansas

Mississippi County Judge John Alan Nelson

9:50 a.m. to 10:05 a.m.–Delta Heritage Tourism: The Sultana Steamboat Museum in Marion, Arkansas

John Fogleman, Attorney and Supporter of the Sultana Museum

10:05 a.m. to 10:35 a.m.–Long-Term Perspectives on the Growth of the Delta Regional Authority

Lee Powell and Wilson Golden, Presidential Appointees in the Clinton Administration; managers of President Clinton’s Delta Regional Initiative along with the late Al Eisenberg

Mike Marshall, former Alternate Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority

10;35—10:50 a.m.–former Gov. JIm Folsom, Jr., of Alabama, on economic development for the Delta and Alabama Black Belt

10:50 a.m. to noon–Education and Workforce Development in the Greater Delta

Cody Behles, Director of Innovation and Research Development, University of Memphis

President Chris Heigel and Vice President Blanche Hunt, Arkansas Northeastern College

Herb Simmons, Professor Emeritus of Grambling University, author of Got Two Wings, a memoir of a son of Louisiana who grew up in the Jim Crow South and became a successful attorney and author

Brian Schweiger, National Park Service Little Rock Central High Historic Site

Ali Noland, attorney who filed lawsuit against Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ LEARNS education act in Arkansas

Venue Change to Comfort Inn Presidential; & List of Grassroots Participants as of Oct. 9, 2023

Posted on October 09, 2023 at 12:41 PM

We have an important logistical change for the Nov. 16-17, 2023 Delta Caucus meeting in Little Rock:

All the sessions will be held at the group hotel, Comfort Inn Presidential, Dean/MacArthur Room.

The opening session is from about 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Comfort Inn Presidential on Thursday evening, Nov. 16, 2023 at the Dean/MacArthur Room.

After the substantive session is over, we can bring dinner (each person pays their own way, of course) from the hotel restaurant just a few steps away into the Dean/MacArthur Room and continue with informal networking during dinner.

The Friday session is from 9 a.m. to noon at the Dean/MacArthur Room on Nov. 17, 2023.

The address of the Comfort Inn Presidential is 707 Interstate 30, Little Rock, AR 72202

(NOTE: We are holding all sessions at the Comfort Inn Presidential because the Arkansas Capitol Rotunda is occupied with preparations for the Christmas season; and we are holding an in-person conference for the first time in a few years so it has been slow in getting a turnout. So the somewhat smaller, more flexible Comfort Inn Presidential is more suitable than the Clinton Library Great Hall.)

We are still working on getting more RSVPs. Please relay this invitation to anyone you think might be interested and invite them to be there.

After we have finished the substantive session going up to 7 p.m. or so we can bring food in from the hotel restaurant (each person paying for their dinner) to have a comfortable place to eat and for further networking.

KEY ISSUES:

We will cover a range of key issues, starting with job creation at good wages, education and workforce development as the essential requirement for obtaining and retaining good jobs, Delta Heritage tourism, health care, hunger and nutrition, transportation, other infrastructure, and support for the Delta Regional Authority.

GROUP HOTEL

To get the group discount rate of $129 for the night of Nov. 16, 2023, call the Comfort Inn & Suites Presidential in Little Rock at 501-687-7700 and say you are with the Delta Caucus group.

FEDERAL AND STATE SPEAKERS TO BE INVITED:

We plan to invite President Bill Clinton, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, US Sen. John Boozman, Congressman Rick Crawford, Congressman French Hill, Congressman Bruce Westerman, state legislators, mayors and other elected officials, nonprofits, community-minded business leaders, experts in transportation, health care, hunger and nutrition, job creation, Delta Heritage tourism and related regional issues.

Elected officials tend to RSVP much later in the process. We will keep you posted.

REGISTRATION FEES:

You register by paying the registration fees:

GROUP DISCOUNT: If you can bring a group of three or more we will reduce registration from $100 down to $40 each, and for a group of five or more down to $20 each.

The easiest way to register is to go on the website at mdgc.us and go to the Paypal link that says “Donate.”

If you prefer to pay by check, make out the check to “Delta Caucus” and mail to our office in the Washington, DC area:

Delta Caucus

5030 Purslane Place

Waldorf, MD 20601

Preliminary List of Grassroots Delta Caucus participants as of Oct. 7, 2023

This is in addition to the invitations we will make to President Clinton, state officials and Members of Congress noted above. Officials at their level tend to RSVP late in the process.

CENTRAL ARKANSAS

–Lee Powell Caucus Director

–Harvey Joe Sanner, President, American Ag Movement of Arkansas, Des Arc

–Michelle Monse, King Foundation, Arkansas and Texas

–Brian Schweiger, National Parks Service, Central High School Historic Site in Little Rock

–Ali Noland, lawyer who filed suit against Arkansas LEARNS ACT

–Ernie Dumas, former senior editor at the old Arkansas Gazette, later editor at Arkansas Times

PHILLIPS COUNTY ARKANSAS

Beatrice Shelby, Director, BGACDC nonprofit, Phillips County Arkansas, and several of her colleagues

EAST ARKANSAS

–John Fogleman, speaking about the Sultana Museum, Marion Arkansas

–Director of Sultana Museum Melody Walker

–Mayor Jaylen Smith of Earle, Arkansas

–Shane Broadway, Arkansas State University Vice President for University Relations; sbroadway@asusystem.edu

–Johnny Pettis, small farmer, in-door, year-round produce grower, hydropontics; johnnylpettis@aol.com

–Mayor Tamiko Butler of Eudora, Arkansas on in-door produce project with black mayors in Arkansas

–Mayor Ora Stevens Marianna, Arkansas

–Fredric Smith, East Arkansas Enterprise Community, Forrest City, Arkansas;

MISSISSIPPI COUNTY ARKANSAS

–Mississippi County Judge John Alan Nelson

–Mayor of Blytheville Melisa Logan

–Barrett Harrison, Arkansas Aeroplex

–Vice President Blanche Hunt, Arkansas Northeastern College;

–President Chris Heigel, Arkansas Northeastern College

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Space Is Limited for Nov. 16-17: Please Pay Early Registration Rate to Reserve Space & Get Lower Rate

Posted on September 06, 2023 at 02:28 PM

Please Register by Paying Early Registration Fees for Nov. 16-17, 2023 Delta Conference in Little Rock, Deadlines and registration info are below.

Space is limited and is allotted on a first come, first served basis. If your fees are received later you may not be able to attend due to lack of space.

You register and RSVP by paying the early $70 registration fees for an individual by Sept. 30, or group discount down to $40 each if you can bring three or more people.

Registration fees go up to $100 after Sept. 30, 2023.

For very late registrations after Nov. 5, 2023, fees go up to $125.

We are providing incentives to get fees in on time to avoid the complications caused in earlier meetings when many people waited until the last minute to pay the fees.

BASIC CONFERENCE SCHEDULE: Opening session is Nov. 16, 2023 from 4:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Friday session on Nov. 17, 2023 at the Clinton Library from 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.

GROUP DISCOUNTS: If you can bring a group of three or more, we will give a group discount down to $40 each, and for a group of four or more we will reduce it to $30 each.

The easiest way to register is to go on the website at mdgc.us and go to the Paypal link that says “Donate.”

If you prefer to pay by check, make out the check to “Delta Caucus” and mail to our office in the Washington, DC area:

Delta Caucus

5030 Purslane Place

Waldorf, MD 20601

You can reply directly to this group email from Delta Caucus using the Constant Contact group email delivery system. Your reply will go directly to Caucus Director Lee Powell.

We will no longer be relying on individual invitations to each attendee as we have in the past, due to time constraints. We cannot send out hundreds of invitations to get the turnout of from 70 to 100 or so that we have in the past. This has been a poor use of our time caused by the unfortunate inattention of some attendees.

The schedule starts in the early evening of Nov. 16 a little before 5 p.m., resumes the next morning at 9 a.m. and ends with the luncheon the next day, so you can be in and out of the conference in less than 24 hours.

Request for a prompt and definite response: We ask all of the people we invite to please look over this invitation, see the website at mdgc.us if you would like more information, and then give us a definite yes or no response ASAP. Of course, it complicates our planning if many people wait until the last minute to RSVP. It’s understandable if you can’t work this into your schedule, we just ask everyone to give us a definite, timely response.

Speakers, schedule, group hotel and registration information are below in this message.

SPEAKERS TO BE INVITED:

We plan to invite President Bill Clinton, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, US Sen. John Boozman, Congressman Rick Crawford, Congressman French Hill, Congressman Bruce Westerman, state legislators, mayors and other elected officials, nonprofits, community-minded business leaders, experts in transportation, health care, hunger and nutrition, job creation, Delta Heritage tourism and related regional issues.

Speakers at national, regional and state levels usually confirm much later in the process. We will keep you informed about the schedule as it develops later on.

Key issues: We will cover a range of key issues, starting with job creation at good wages, education and workforce development as the essential requirement for obtaining and retaining good jobs, Delta Heritage tourism, health care, Medicaid, hunger and nutrition, transportation, housing and other infrastructure, and related issues.

SCHEDULE

Opening session will be on Thursday evening, November 16, 2023 from about 4:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at a central Little Rock location, (probably the Arkansas Capitol Rotunda but they do not take reservations this far ahead of time).

Informal session at the Comfort Inn & Suites restaurant and bar, 6:45 p.m. to whenever. Over the years people have often said this is very helpful in the networking opportunities and for individual discussions in a one on one setting.

*Clinton Library Great Hall session is set for Friday, November 17, 2023 from 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. *

GROUP HOTEL:

The group hotel is the Comfort Inn & Suites Presidential in Little Rock. To get the group rate call the hotel at 501-687-7700 and say you are with the Delta Caucus group.**

We hope you can join us for the Delta Regional Conference on Nov. 16-17, 2023. Thanks—Lee Powell, Delta Caucus (202) 360-6347

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