PUBLIC VIEWPOINT

Public Viewpoint: Cities Not Being Honest On Ambulances

On Feb. 11, the rural voters of Benton County will decide if the Emergency Medical District ordinance will be approved or defeated.

Our Benton County elected officials, the “Big City” mayors and fire chiefs have supported this threat of force from the start. The people of rural Benton County were led to believe the cities who run their ambulances into the rural areas of the County are losing money.

Our Benton County elected officials say they can’t make the cities verify their costs or their revenue.

The cities say “take it or leave it.” The truth is they are not making as much money as they would like to. The total revenue for the EMS services for Siloam Springs, Rogers and Bentonville is $3,247,601.

There is no reason our elected Benton County officials can’t get the true facts and figures from the cities through a Freedom of Information Act request, because that’s how I got the $3 million-plus figure.

Maybe all the ambulances in Benton County should be operated by the private sector. The rural folks would probably pay a little more than the city people but every citizen would be treated the same.

I suppose it’s just easier to tax the rural folks of Benton County another $85-per-year tax.

ARNOLD HARP

Rural Highfill

COUNTY WILL PRESERVE AMBULANCES

I am wondering if Benton County is thinking clearly. Would they like people in other states to know that if they come to Northwest Arkansas for the craft fairs and fun on Beaver Lake or for any other reason, there would be no ambulance services if they had an accident?

People, I don’t think the county would let that happen. They make a lot of money on the crafters, etc.

So, if we vote “no” on the ambulance service, what will the county do? They have kind of indicated they have a plan “B,” but they are not going to tell us until we vote. That’s not fair.

We need to know what our options are and what their plan is if we vote no.

Don’t get me wrong, I pay my taxes and want to pay my fair share, but I don’t want to be scared or warned into doing anything!

RUTH EVERHART

Rogers

Opinion, Pages 5 on 02/06/2014

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