LETTERS

LITTLE ROCK — Do political ‘elites’ get it?

State Treasurer Martha Shoffner’s “let them eat cake” attitude has softened since she reversed her decision not to pay income taxes for personal use of a taxpayer-provided car. She also has apologized for calling the state trooper assigned to drive and protect Gov. Mike Beebe a “manservant.” What hasn’t gone away is the idea that public officials are due entitlements on the taxpayer’s dime, an elitist mentality among far too many in public service.

This elitist entitlement assumption has created a political class that resembles a nobility class, which raises a larger issue: Can the taxpayer continue to afford supporting an elite class of politicians who rule over rather than serve the people’s best interests?

Personal use of a vehicle provided by the state for state business becomes taxable income. This isn’t rocket science. Real-world employees don’t have transportation provided by employers to drive to and from work and to use for personal business. Most top managers don’t have such a perk, and those who do must claim it as income. Political officeholders are not exempt either by law or morality.

This cavalier attitude toward the people’s money is held by far too many in positions of authority. Shoffner has changed her mind and apologized. Certainly, it was politically expedient for her to do so. The question remains: Do she and other political “elites” really get it?

RICHARD WILLIAMS Pine Bluff

Rules for writing by

Harry Hohenstein’s letter, “Ignorance prevalent,” got me to thinking. Could we letter writers agree on some ground rules or guiding principles for our contributions? Here are some thoughts. I look to others for additional or better ideas.

Be respectful of your reader and of those with whom you disagree. Assume, whether you believe it or not, that their intentions are as worthy as yours.

Try to stick to one topic. It’s better, I should think, to explore one topic in some depth rather than to try to cover-of necessity, superficially-everything that’s been bothering you or inspiring you.

Opinions are good, but opinions with a factual foundation are even better. Reread what you’ve written before you hit the send button. Ask yourself: “How do I know this?”

Consider who you want as your audience. Are you just writing to reinforce those who already agree with you? Or are you trying to provide information or argument that might lead those who are undecided to give you a fair hearing, or that might even lead those on the other side to realize that your view is slightly more plausible or respectable than they realized?

Write from your experience-stories, not rhetoric. My story in six words: civil rights lawyer, now Unitarian minister.

Finally, if at all possible, leave the reader with hope, even if just a little.

DAVE HUNTER Fayetteville

Newspapers needed

I have followed the Democrat-Gazette stories about personal use of state vehicles by state officials and applaud your paper for staying on top of this obvious misuse of their positions.

The power of the press still exists in our society and maybe this will prove that there still is a serious need for newspapers at a time when we are all guilty of plopping down in front of the TV to get small parts of important stories.

It just isn’t the same as when you can get all the information from the paper.

I’m glad I have a subscription to the Democrat-Gazette for this reason, and thank you and your reporters for “dogging” this important story. It has caused a needed change in state operations.

The answer for Martha Shoffner, state treasurer, and maybe some other officials should come at the ballot box this fall. Thank you again.

ANTHONY SOULE Bella Vista

Letter worth reading

I would like to thank Thomas Pope for his letter about Gene Lyons’ column, “Success through failure.” He calls it propaganda right out of the Democratic National Committee.

I suggest if you did not catch the letter that you pull up the Democrat-Gazette Web page and read it. You will be amazed.

Also, Barbara Foreman had a great letter recently. She begins by saying, “Appartently, letter writers Eleanor Foster and Dixie Ann Cole, who don’t understand the growing criticism ofPresident Obama, get their news from the network or MSNBC, so haven’t a clue to what’s really going on.”

She then goes on in the bulk of her letter about Obama’s activist mother, who gave him an Islamic African father and an Islamic Indonesian stepfather.

There is much more in her letter about Obama’s leftist appointees that I can’t include here, but if you missed it, it is well worth pulling it up and reading for yourself.

HAROLD HICKS Mabelvale

Support Republicans

I have it all figured out about the right people to run our country: Mike Huckabee, president, and Mitt Romney, vice president.

Sarah Palin can be House speaker, replacing Nancy Pelosi. Michele Bach, congresswoman from Minnesota, can be secretary of state. Our state’s senators can be John Boozman and Curtis Coleman, our 4th District congresswoman Beth Anne Rankin.

Governor of Arkansas should be Jim Keet. It pays to vote Republican.

DONALD L. PUTMAN El Dorado

Dullness has merits

I had the good fortune to meet John Boozman when he was in Crossett a couple of weeks ago. He was articulate and knows what he believes in. He votes to represent what the people who elected him feel about the issues, not however the wind is blowing. Boozman is not dull, as the paper’s editorial writer has categorized him. If dull is being sincere, willing to listen and reading the bills before he votes on them, I’ll take dull. How refreshing!

MARY JANE MANNING Crossett

Headline ‘confusing’

The headline of Harry Hohenstein’s recent letter, “Ignorance prevalent,” [whose opening statement is “The people of this country seem ignorant and naïve”] has me confused.

Is the paper calling Hohenstein’s small-minded views on Barack Obama and Islam ignorant and issuing a warning to readers to be wary of the ignorance of some Arkansans who have no concept of religious tolerance and no true understanding of the Christian concepts of acceptance and love?

Or are you condoning what he writes and telling your readers that if they are not pro-God on Hohenstein’s terms, they shouldn’t be subscribing to this newspaper?

SABRINA CHESNE Fayetteville

Repeal long overdue

I am an honorably discharged veteran and a Baptist pastor. But it should not surprise anyone that I support the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which would repeal the “Don’t ask, don’t tell, don’t pursue, don’t harass” law that requires U.S. military service members to neither engage in nor disclose that they are gay or lesbian.

Military service, like voting and jury service, requires two essential elements: loyalty to our nation and competence to perform required duties. It is beyond argument that loyalty to the United States has nothing whatsoever to do with sexual orientation. Similarly, sexual orientation has nothing to do with any duty performed by the military.

Beyond that, the law hinders our military when the nation can least afford it. Seasoned personnel severely strained from multiple combat tours in Iraq are now being deployed to Afghanistan. By forcing loyal and capable service members out of the military because of their sexual orientation, the law inexcusably adds unnecessary pressure on an already overstretched force.

Whatever one may think about the wisdom of a given military engagement, it makes no sense to dismiss people who are doing a good job and ban people who can do a good job when the nation has so much work to do. It is past time for President Obama and Congress to act with similar honor and boldness by repealing the law.

WENDELL L. GRIFFEN Little Rock

Demand accounting

The saga continues with some public officials seeing the light and suddenly agreeing that maybe they do need to pay income taxes on the use of the state vehicles they are provided by the taxpayers.

For the sake of an illustration of arrogance and entitlement mentality, I’ll use our state treasurer Martha Shoffner’s words as reported by the Democrat-Gazette’s Bill Simmons: “I just wasn’t sure what [the law] was. I was confused. I didn’t know I was out of compliance.” She says later in the story that “I thought, ‘I can’t pay it.’ I just saw this as another tax, I thought, ‘How can I pay this?’ ”

Hey, welcome to the world of the tax-paying public. That is the question we taxpayers ask often. How are we going to pay taxes and fees that city, state and federal governments seem to want to raise all the time?

However, let me get back to the subject at hand. I hope with all the light starting to shine that we will see that there are many who are abiding by the law. However, we already know there are some who have thumbed their nose at it.

Citizens, this is why it is necessary for you to ask questions of your mayors, city managers, county judges, school boards and state-funded schools. Ask them to provide you a list of elected and appointed officials and employees who are given access to vehicles for personal use and whether they pay taxes on them.

JANET CROW Conway

Feedback Ban not required

I read with interest Professor Elliott West’s guest column, “ ‘Historical truths’ not always based on fact,” in the Perspective section. While taking Mike Masterson to task for historical inaccuracies relating to Congress banning the import of slaves in 1808, the professor tells us, “Congress ended only the importation of slaves, something the Constitution required that year.”

I assume the professor refers to Article I, Section 9, Clause 1; “The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.”

Clearly, while the Constitution permitted banning the importation of slaves in that year, it did not require such a ban. I’m sure the professor teaches his students to double-check their facts before publishing.

VERNON HUMPHREY Mountain View

Read Arizona law

It appears that Pat Lynch, like our politicians, has not read the Arizona law or chooses to ignore the fact that only after a law is broken that requires police action can they look at the person’s status if they have reason to believe he may be here illegally. Police cannot simply question a person for no reason.

Pat, I can agree with much of your column, but get the facts straight.

JUDSON HOLDER Rogers