LETTERS

LITTLE ROCK — Promise wins a vote

Recently I heard a young new politician speak. His name is L.J. Bryant and he’s campaigning for a state office, land commissioner. The thing that impressed me the most about Bryant was that he promised to never drive a state car.

He didn’t dance around the subject, but flat-out promised that he’d use his own car. What a refreshing change to have a politician actually make a public commitment to do the right thing. Bryant gets my vote.

ZACH MORRISON Bay

Go with experience

The Republican candidate for the 2nd Congressional District seat certainly has had no legislative experience. His career in government has been as a member of Karl Rove’s “dirty tricks” department.

I think Tim Griffin persuaded the Justice Department to fire Bud Cummins, a Republican appointee, so he could have his job. Cummins was considered one of the top five U.S. attorneys in the country. This would make it easier for Griffin to win a political race in Arkansas.

Sen. Mark Pryor was shocked at thisand managed to get the Senate to pay attention to the U.S. attorneys’ scandal. The scheme to have Griffin take office without appearing before a Senate panel fell through. It is unlikely that, as our congressman, Griffin will be interested in the well-being of anyone other than the rich and powerful who have been financing his candidacy.

Joyce Elliott has had a distinguished career in the Arkansas Legislature. She would represent all of the people of the 2nd District, in which we have many who are poor and disadvantaged.

ROSALIND ABERNATHY Little Rock

Don’t blame Obama

Many Americans are complaining about how President Obama is handling the U.S. economic problem.

It took eight years for George W. Bush to get this economy into the awful mess that it is in right now. It will take more than two years, a lot of hard work and some very bold, unpopular and drastic measures for it to recover.

Obama did not get the U.S. economy into the horrible mess it is in; he is trying to get it out.

MILTON MURRAY McNeil

20 years long enough

The 4th Congressional District has lost population since 2000. Accordingly, that was the year Mike Ross was elected to Congress.

Ross represents the party of food stamps and his opponent Beth Anne Rankin represents the party of paychecks. He claims to have stoodagainst extreme leftist House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Actually, it is said that he has voted in support of Pelosi and her leftistagenda 95 percent of the time.

Remember, a Blue Dog Democrat is still a Democrat, with Pelosi, Barney Barney Frank, John Dingell and other extreme leftists in leadership positions. Why elect a Blue Dog Democrat with little influence with this extreme leftist party leadership when we can elect a real-deal conservative to represent the 4th District?

Are the citizens of the 4th District better off today than they were in 2000? He has been in Congress 10 years and was in the state Senate 10 years before that. Isn’t 20 years at the public trough long enough considering what poor results he has delivered?

DAVE GARRISON Camden

Senator really cares

Everyone who cares about children and families needs to knowhow hard Blanche Lincoln has worked on our behalf.

When the Adoption Incentives program was set to expire in 2008, Lincoln wrote a letter to the Senate Finance Committee and got 29 co-signers from both parties urging support for the adoption program. As soon as the committee approved a bill similar to the one passed by the House, she Lincoln wrote to House leaders, this time getting 50 co-signers from both parties urging passage of the bill.

Miraculously, during the heat of a highly partisan election campaign, the bill passed unanimously in both Senate and House and became the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act. This law will help hundreds of thousands of children in foster care find permanent families.

For 19 years as an adoption worker I made over 450 placements from foster care. I see how Arkansas children and families already have benefited from this most recent legislation as well as other successful efforts by Lincoln such as in the field of child nutrition. She has the ability to work with others, regardless of political party, for the good of families and children. We need to keep Lincoln working for us.

GENE TWERASER Fayetteville

Who’s steering ship?

Who is running the ship? Over the last several weeks, our president has been traipsing about the country doing what he likes best-making speeches, attending backyard barbecues and rallies in an effort to salvage the Democratic Party from this upcoming disaster.

In the meantime, who is running the ship of state? Has it been set on autopilot? Or has it been turned over to the bureaucrats? We hope not, since half of them have already jumped ship and returned back to former jobs and academia.

Perhaps it has been turned over to Vice President Joe Biden. God forbid. Or is the ship of state just adrift and nobody is at the helm? Who exactly is running the ship of state during this most critical time? I wonder and am greatly concerned.

BILL GRADY Hot Springs

Village Oppose annexation

I am a citizen of Jacksonville who will vote no on the annexation of our county neighbors’ property. This annexation will cause Jacksonville taxes to rise.

This is an area with a vast flood zone that will require attention and money. Studies on annexation prove to me that the city doing the annexation spends more than it receives in additional revenue from the annexed area. Jacksonville is broken. Let’s fix it before we spend money on new areas.

The people in the area to be annexed do not desire to live in Jacksonville and cannot afford the expense of bringing their county property up to the Jacksonville code. The problem is not only a greedy mayor and city council, but also the Arkansas law that allows such greedy land grabbing. Jacksonville, please vote no on annexation.

M.E. WILLIAMS Jacksonville