LETTERS

Pipeline replacement

I believe the state of Arkansas should condemn the Pegasus pipeline. It is clear to me that Exxon Mobil had information from its tests that the pipe was and is subject to ruptures.

Rules and regulations were clearly ignored. Most important is the risk of a faulty oil pipeline for people and the environment.

I think the old pipe should be dug up, recycled and replaced with an aqueduct. A water line would be a lot safer and more beneficial in the long run. The easement is there, the pumps are there, the rivers are there and the need for water has always been there.

One water line will not make that much of a difference. but it would be a start. This is not the only 60-yearold pipeline that is falling apart. We need a lot more investment in water distribution.

We do not have to build water purification plants. When I see the wildfires out in West California, Arizona, etc., I think: How can we prevent that here? Water fights fires, irrigates pastures, helps wildlife and does not have to be potable to do so.

JEFF LAHA Little Rock

Where’s the honesty?

After owning my home as a vacation residence for the past four years, I recently moved here full time, temporarily. I telephoned a handyman whose name I had been given, inquiring of his fees. I was informed he charged per hour, but not a minimum fee.

Upon arriving at my home to install two single plant hooks, two individual garage tool hooks and stack four heavy boxes in the garage, he charged me more than twice his quoted fees for less than 30 minutes’ worth of work. I could have understood if this had been extremely challenging work, but it was not.

I hired him based upon his word, which was null and void. Had he noted he had a minimum fee, I would have tried to hire a neighbor, but wanted to provide him the opportunity of employment (even one hour’s worth of work would have been acceptable, but not over twice what he quoted). Additionally, he left messes and moved items around which he refused to return to their locale. All of this and he still charged me the inflated rate.

What has happened to honesty, integrity and respect for others?

JANE WOODS Bella Vista

A pleasure to watch

It is such a pleasure to see KATV’s Christina Munoz give the news. She is so articulate and charming.

While I am giving kudos, I also enjoy our weatherman, Todd Yakoubian. Although I’m retired now from teaching English, speech and social studies, I taught him at Catholic High for Boys.

He said back then that he wanted to be a meteorologist, and when he graduated, he went to Oklahoma to study this.

BEVERLY BILLINGSLEY Cammack Village

Contribution equality

A recent Voices contributor suggested that charitable contributions could never equal government assistance, but he did not know for sure.

I do know for sure because I have been directly involved. Please consider the following numbers.

Our Relay for Life includes two counties. From summer 2007 to summer ’08, we raised over $90,000. That was a banner year for us. Usually we’re in the fifties. In the spring of ’07, my brother-in-law spent 30 straight days in the ICU before passing away. The bill for just his room-not including dialysis or anything else-exceeded $116,000.

Any questions?

CARI KING Pocahontas

A Southern treasure

I have been an on-again, off-again subscriber to the Oxford American for years, and was delighted to read Paul Greenberg’s encouraging words on its present status.

We need a magazine that promotes Southern culture in its traditions and individuality. Kudos to Warwick Sabin, who apparently saved the periodical from certain death. I am rushing to resubscribe.

MARTHA SUTHERLAND Fayetteville

That sounds familiar

Bradley Gitz, again!

It is so pathetic that Republicans always attribute their own failings to Democrats. His insinuation that “abortion on demand at taxpayer expense” and “free contraceptives” accurately represents the “Democratic” or “liberal” position is false, as he should be well aware unless his head is totally immersed up the backside of Fox News.

Mr. Gitz denies a “war on women”: The Republican Party would never be that dumb. Well, welcome to your “Party of Stupid.”

In state after state and in the U.S. House, wherever Republicans are in control, they have voted and are still continuing to vote for laws that deny women the right to make decisions about their own health care and that restrict availability of health-care services for women. Yet when these same legislators speak, their ignorance about basic medical realities shows them to be unqualified to make such medical decisions for others.

Maybe they aren’t firing live rounds, but their actions are going to kill real women.

The party of “limited government” is all in favor of intrusive government, as long as it adversely affects women and not men. They should not be surprised that many women and others find these actions offensive.

This suicidal course almost suggests that the ideology of a majority of today’s Republican Party would drive them to embrace any return toward an Old Testament-style patriarchal society with women as chattel and having no rights-a societal view also embraced by Sharia law and the Taliban.

JOEL C. EWING Bentonville

Our historic Hillary

Everyone who is of voting age apparently has been awed with the political abilities of Arkansas’ (her adopted state) Hillary Clinton. She saved Bill Clinton from impeachment and helped him get re-elected. She got herself elected as senator for New York and performed impeccably as the U.S. Secretary of State.

It appears that becoming the first female president of the United States is hers simply for the asking.

There are many professionals in the business of working with those aspiring to public office who believe that she will winhandily and that her coattails will be broad enough to increase the Democrats’ margin in the Senate and pick up enough Democrats in the House to put Nancy Pelosi back in the seat of Speaker of the House.

Hillary has a unique opportunity to leave an insurmountable legend while being responsible for ensuring that the top three national officials of our country will be women.

Arkansas may surpass New York in world recognition.

JAMES MITCHELL Little Rock