LETTERS

Some above furlough

I asked Congressman Tim Griffin if he would be willing to take a voluntary pay cut to support federal workers, and all I got back was a two page complaint about how hard he has it living on federal benefits even without taking a voluntary 20 percent cut in pay for the next 11 weeks, and that he had to take a cut to his administrative staff.

I don’t appreciate the nerve of someone complaining that he has to suffer because some other government employee will be losing his income. I think it’s time for Tim Griffin to look for another job.

PAUL WAGENER Jacksonville

Not worthy of raise

Why are we just now finding out about a state law that mandates that mayors receive pay comparable to other city officials? Who knew about this when the Little Rock Board of Directors pushed for the change in government back in 2007? What makes Mark Stodola worth $180,000 anyway? After all, it seems to me that City Manager Bruce Moore does the heavy lifting.

After comparing the job duties of the city manager and the mayor, it’s obvious to me that we don’t need a full-time mayor, and we certainly don’t need to shell out $160,000 for his services, let alone $180,000. All Stodola apparently does is attend photo ops, for crying out loud.

Did he persuade Pulaski Tech to move its Culinary Arts School downtown? Did he persuade Hawker Beechcraft to keep its presence in Little Rock? It seems he can’t even persuade Dillard’s to allow the bike trail to cross its property; I bet Pat Hays would have had that handled five years ago.

Stolola did get a sales-tax increase passed, partially to fund a tech park … for whose benefit? Let’s not forget about his plan to solve panhandling. Anyone remember the orange boxes downtown?

Rather than debate the merits of giving the mayor an unconscionable raise, the board should be focusing on returning the mayor’s position to part time, thereby eliminating the need for a raise and for wasting any more precious time on the issue, both now and in the future. You’ll rarely find me in agreement with Erma Hendrix but, on this point, she is right.

MIKE HARB Little Rock

A race to remember

I read that the gentleman who does the Firecracker Fast 5K plans to stop after this year.

I think this race is the most fun of any I have ever participated in. Everyone was courteous, happy and enjoying the pretty scenery. Plus, I shaved 20 minutes off my previous time.

Thank you to everyone.

PAM MULLINS Sherwood

Taking our freedoms

For the law-abiding citizen, a background check before a gun is purchased is only an inconvenience.

Just one question: Do you believe a background check would have prevented John Hinckley from getting a gun before attempting to assassinate President Ronald Reagan and seriously wounding James Brady?

The law never stops the determined until after the fact. Noble sentiment in the hands of the government, on the other hand, is always a good excuse to take our freedom while criminal activity goes on, leaving a trail of tears and heartache.

THOMAS LAKSO Russellville

C’mon, dial it down!

Folks, you’re exaggerating.

John Firmin implies the majority of Americans don’t want to work but prefer that a minority of hardworking citizens to support them. However, there are about 155 million people in the U.S. labor force, with about 7.6 percent currently unemployed. That leaves 92 percent. Even including discouraged workers and the underemployed, it is still obvious that the great majority of Americans in the labor pool are working.

Wilburn Rowell seems to think that scientific evidence of warming is a matter of belief rather than measurement. Arkansas saw record cold this spring, but Arkansas is a tiny portion of the Earth’s land mass. Weather stations do not measure the warming seas or rising temperatures at the poles. Few scientists make millions from speeches and books. On the other hand, it is in the economic interest of the fossil-fuel industry to deny climate change.

Arthur Miller accuses Barack Obama of creating a $16 trillion debt. The national debt was $10.6 trillion when Obama took office. The TARP bank bailout and two wars, as well as many programs budgeted by Congress, were already under way. Therefore, the Obama administration can be accused at most of creating about a third of that debt. Under Bush, debt rose $4.9 trillion.

Miller also apparently assumes that executive orders are unconstitutional. However, every president since George Washington has issued executive orders, and Obama has issued far fewer of them than most of his predecessors. That Obama has taught constitutional law is a verifiable fact, not a claim.

CORALIE KOONCE Fayetteville

Expect consequences

With all the talk about the death penalty and how to avoid the use of cruel and unusual punishment, andthe governor’s call for the people to get involved, I offer my solution.

There are two things you must first focus on, and then I believe you will come to the same conclusion I did.

First, most people know that for a law to be effective, it must be enforced, and that in the enforcement, the punishment must be such that a rational person would weigh the consequences for his actions. Second, the definition of “cruel and unusual” varies from person to person.

That is when I had my epiphany.

However the person killed his victim(s) is how he should be put to death. This will not be anything unusual to him as he already did it that way, and as far as cruel goes, one should think about the consequences of his actions.

PHILIP H. SHERLIN Little Rock