NWA LETTERS

New Council, same problems

Dear old Tontitown — the little town that chews up and spits out its own, demands their own way no matter the consequences, and who evidently is addicted to controversy and vendetta.

At the end of the last City Council meeting one of the councilmen read a statement decimating another councilman. Two other councilmen chimed in on the attack — which included divulging personal information in a public forum. This is supposed to be a friendly little town? Not a chance folks!

There were hopes that the new City Council would be better than the last regime. Hopes are dashed. They play with the same self-serving rules. Their tactics are just as vicious and derogatory. Their methods are just as corrupt.

Take the fire department controversy. The previous City Council and the volunteer fire department butted heads. There was a lot of misinformation and non-divulged information surrounding that, a common problem in Tontitown. The volunteer fire department gave an ultimatum and cut off services. The city formed a city fire department. I will tell you, until I learned more; I sympathized with the volunteer fire department.

The current City Council worked to get in control with the agenda of restoring the volunteer fire department. They voted to not accept competitive bidding and voted to make the volunteer fire department the provider of fire services in the city. The city fire department had already submitted an amount lower than what the volunteer fire department wants for services. But the City Council does not care – their goal was to reinstate the volunteer fire department and they did just that. Never mind the disparity in amount and quality of services offered. This is not acting in the best interest of those who put these people in office. Elected officials are supposed to act for those they represent. That doesn’t happen much anymore. Not in Tontitown, not in Arkansas, not in Washington, D.C.

Wonder when Tontitown will grow up? When principles will be more important than personalities? When doing the right thing just because it is the right thing will once more be valued in this town, this state, this country?

DIANE O. BORDER

Tontitown

Short memories of Democrats

The multiple letters attacking Senator Tom Cotton, published on your opinion page in recent days, show an amazing ignorance of recent history. Many of us remember when prominent U.S. Senators of the Democrat Party openly wrote letters in support of, made speeches in support of, and made trips in support of our country’s enemies when a Republican by the name of Reagan was in the White House. Yes, Tom Cotton is a new Senator. But he was elected to represent the state of Arkansas and the United States, regardless of his seniority in the Senate. He won that election because the voters of our state wanted a senator who would advocate for their values and beliefs. He is doing just that.

BILL JAYCOX

Springdale

[email protected]

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