FAYETTEVILLE — It's not entirely lost on us that some logical reasons may exist to join the state Capitol to a nearby office building sureto house legislators and staff offices for years to come. Besides keeping elected officials (and countless papers) dry while going to and from, it has also been reported that the Capitol building and the Multi-Agency Complex (as known as Big MAC) are separated by an incline, parking spaces, a sidewalk and two access roads.
Having said that, most Arkansans are aware there is a recession on, and as such, are cutting back when and wherever possible. Apparently some folks in the Arkansas General Assembly haven't gotten the memo. Praise be that Gov. Mike Beebe has.
On Monday two legislative leaders tried talking Gov. Mike Beebe into spending $1.8 million to build a proposed tunnel connecting the two structures. The governor rejected the request on the grounds that it is unnecessary and that such a project would be poor form in these economic times.
It's even more likely that the governor appreciates how such a story would read and sound to a family struggling to buy food or find reliable employment. For what it's worth, Beebe does support a $5 million renovation of Big MAC, which isn't a small thing when times are tight.
Yet again, the governor seems to have walked that fine line between common sense and going overboard that leaves him sitting so high in the polls. We say thanks.
Opinion, Pages 4 on 09/25/2009