LETTERS

To conquer the challenge

Well, that certainly didn’t take long.

Not that New Year’s resolutions usually do, but, golly, what are we-barely a fortnight into this fresh trip around the sun? A blink of an eye. And I failed-utterly, miserably, profoundly failed.

At first, my goal, my promise to myself seemed simple enough. All I wanted to do was to be able to read, from beginning to end, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette editorials.

A daunting task for sure, but I thought I had a foolproof plan. Like a world-class athlete, I would train, train and then train some more. Turn myself into a print-devouring machine.

I began with Russian novels, one per day for almost a week. War and Peace, cake. Doctor Zhivago, tough, especially during the recent cold snap, but done. Even, and I kid you not, the interminable Brothers Karamazov in only nine hours.

Then, throw in Bill Clinton’s speech at the 1988 Democratic Convention and two or three legal briefs, and I was sure I was ready.

Primed. Bring on whatever Paul Greenberg can deliver. No prob.

And then, on the day I decide to test my mettle, to temper my resolve, the Democrat-Gazette, seemingly aware of my purpose, hits me with its best shot, a 50-megaton dose of eyeball-destroying, mind-melting Mark Darr goulash.

And in the face of this horrible onslaught, I wilted. I froze. I might even have wet my pants. I failed.

Has anyone seen the comics?

RICK JOHNSON Ratcliff

And not in the obits

Thank you to the Voices page for publishing so many of the letters that I have sent.

At a recent funeral, I met a former colleague whom I had not seen in a long while. He told me that he would sometimes find himself wondering what had become of me; then, from seeing one of my letters in the paper, he would realize that I am still around. RICHARD FROTHINGHAM Little Rock

Letting others decide

California’s Assembly got rid of many of its Republicans, and the state is again governed by Democrats. The state now has a balanced budget, and has just increased the minimum wage to one of the highest in the nation. And Covered California-the state marketplace for individuals, families and small businesses buying health coverage, and a core component of California’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)-is one of the few exchanges in the country that took advantage of the opportunity to employ “active purchasing.” It is using its purchasing power to negotiate with insurance companies for plans on behalf of consumers. Businesses and individuals are covered and plans are costing less.

Don’t fall for the ads flooding your TV bought by the Koch brothers’ tax-exempt Americans for Prosperity targeting vulnerable Democrats. If you have a problem purchasing or understanding a policy, contact access. arkansas.gov or call (855) 372-1084.

Don’t believe these Republican tactics of horror stories. Get your own answers.

CHARLOTTE MOORE Fayetteville

Pay bump could harm

Re Joyce Hoover’s letter: It occurred to me that people may think we should have higher minimum wage. They likely think this will help to alleviate poverty.

I have been an employer for over 33 years and have employed hundreds. I can only recall paying the minimum wage on rare occasion, maybe to help employees by hiring their children to do some unskilled work learn about earning money. These were not skilled positions and do not warrant regular pay rates. Those who were given the opportunity did appreciate it. Most current employees are paid considerably more than minimum wage to start, and once productive, are paid according to their performance.

I believe a minimum wage of $10 an hour will most likely force many employers to avoid hiring part-time and inexperienced workers who require supervision and are not productive.

Many young people need a starting job to gain experience and learn what is means to be a good employee. Ironically, I think raising the minimum wage will make it more difficult for employers to justify hiring young, inexperienced people. Maybe we should change the name to “starting wage” rather than minimum wage. Most employers will pay the best wage they can afford to productive and experienced employees to keep them.

My first job paid 50 cents an hour, and it made me aware that I needed to get an education and learn a trade to be worth more. Do we really want our government to control everything? I think raising the minimum wage will do one thing for certain: cause inflation and the price we pay for most things to increase, probably much more than you think.

PAUL MINTON Little Rock

Unacceptable actions

Tom Cotton has his mother, Mark Pryor has his Bible, but Mike Ross has Mike Beebe.

I like Mike Beebe; I voted for Mike Beebe more than once, he is from my hometown, and with a few exceptions I believe he has been a very good governor.

However, even though he has the right to do it, as a governor of all the people of Arkansas, I think his open endorsement of Mike Ross in TV ads is a demonstration of extreme partisanship. This is beneath the office of a sitting governor going into the fiscal legislative session and even before the party primaries to choose a particular candidate to support. I believe one can only interpret the governor’s unacceptable behavior as pure desperation by Democratic Party insiders and the governor as an effort to try to overcome the negatives they face because of their totally unacceptable positions on numerous issues on which the people will have the last say in November.

That said, I still like Mike Beebe, but as my governor he is wrong to endorse Mike Ross on TV or otherwise. TOM HOWARD Searcy

Sherwood up a tree?

What has gotten into the city planners of Sherwood? Have they gone tree-demolition crazy? First it was Indian Bay and Brockington, then Kiehl and Lantrip, and now Kiehl and Brockington. That corner probably had history with the early development of Sherwood. It seems huge trees were destroyed for the sake of a commercial site. Trees destroyed for another service station? Like we need another one, as there are three within a mile of each other, plus one across the street from this lot.

I thought Sherwood planners would try to preserve some of these old trees, but no, they apparently have to cut them down and leave bare lots. All for what-money? When I left the other day, three or four of the large ones were left at Kiehl and Brockington, and when I came back by two hours later, they had been cut down.

I hope others are upset with this destruction. Declare a moratorium on large-tree cutting before Sherwood is a bare, treeless city with huge concrete lots. I believe trees make Sherwood unique.

S.K. O’NEIL Sherwood

Snowden not a patriot

It seems there is an anti-government, libertarian movement in this country that has grown alarmingly in the past 25 years or so that could now be threatening the ability of the government to protect us. There has always been an element of it in our politics. It first surfaced with the Oklahoma City bombing, and has progressed to a more dangerous stage with the release of information by Edward Snowden concerning the government’s attempt to detect possible plots by al-Qaida by scanning email and telephone calls to and from known terrorist cells.

While on the surface this action is questionable because some personal information is also seen, the government has put various safeguards in place that supposedly makes it legal, according to many jurists.

Now the New York Times wants Snowden to be pardoned for releasing the information, justifying that opinion because two U.S. judges say that the program is unconstitutional.

I am disappointed in the Times. I do not believe that the opinion of two judges should result in the stopping of this program that promises to possibly deter another 9/11 or worse. So far, I don’t believe that the program has been stopped.

I think a government is justified in keeping confidential some information that is important to the national security. I am sure that this concept has been abused from time to time by various administrations, but I believe that there are safeguards in place to deter much abuse. I believe Snowden is no patriot; he is just looking for his place in the sun and doesn’t care who he hurts, as his fleeing to foreign hostile nations shows.

JIM MOSELEY Fort Smith

That dream of Utopia

Secular humanists envision a paradise on earth with humankind solving every problem, peace and safety reigning in every land. They’ve had years to construct Utopia.

Here’s how they’re doing, according to one copy of the Jan. 3rd Arkansas Democrat-Gazette headlines:

Egypt: Confession shows al-Qaida link; Tie to Rwanda leader cited in exile’s killing; Beirut blast kills five in Hezbollah area; 3 state-office candidates join call for Darr to quit; China slams U.S. for release of 3 Uighurs; S. Sudan rebels said to dragoon civilians; Study finds that ER visits rise when poor insured; Marines delays female-pullups rule; California bullet train in limbo after rulings; Britain seeing increase in working poor; 2 shot in robbery of strip-club employees; Fire at Chinese Consulate called arson; Man arrested in California priest’s death; Illegal alien granted law license.

So … when does Utopia start?

STEVE HILL Bella Vista

A sore sight for eyes

My wife and I were appalled after visiting beautiful Crystal Bridges to turn onto southbound Interstate 540 and see all the trash on each side of the interstate.

A suggestion: Could not prisoners be paid some to clean up the trash?

Springdale was not bad, but not so north of there.

MEL S. LEBER Springdale

Feedback What transparency?

Re term limits: What is going on? We are voting on a constitutional amendment on term limits in November. I began looking for the source and found House Joint Resolution 1009 on the legislative website, but it is titled “The Arkansas Elected Officials Ethics, Transparency, and Financial Reform Amendment of 2014.”

Not a thing about term limits in the title.

On page 16 of the 22-page document, Section 3 (c)(1), there it is! “A member of the General Assembly shall serve no more than sixteen (16) years …” And this constitutional amendment is called “Ethics, Transparency, and Financial Reform?” SHARON WOODSON STARK Little Rock

Odd man, Rodman

After years of being disgusted with Dennis Rodman, I have finally decided that he is a complete and total moron. He claims to have 45 or so siblings and to have had a bad childhood.

So where does he look for solace? North Korea. His “friend” just recently had his uncle eradicated along with no telling how many others who disagreed with him. I’m just hoping that on his next trip they decide to keep him. Maybe he’ll say something he shouldn’t and end up on the dinner menu.

In the famous words of Bugs Bunny: “What a maroon!” JIMMY MARTIN Conway

Editorial, Pages 11 on 01/20/2014

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