Letters

On Senator Fulbright

I was glad to read that Congressman French Hill was part of planting a tree for Sen. J. William Fulbright's contribution to world peace through the Fulbright International Exchange Program. Education is a powerful tool and can change individual lives and even the future of a whole country.

While the United States is spending billions on the military, only a tiny amount is allocated for education here and abroad.

War has not only involved the annihilation of human life, but also environmental destruction, causing deliberate damage to the environment. Here is hoping that Congressman Hill will be voting in Congress to spend more money on education and the environment, giving future generations hope for a better life.

So far guns do not seem to hold the answer. I am glad to see the congressman apparently agrees with Senator Fulbright's ideas.

ANNCHA BRIGGS

Little Rock

Not fully thought out

Because the other option is to conclude that he is a total fool, I will give Mike Masterson the benefit of the doubt and assume that he has not fully thought through his views on the presidential race, as expressed in his column Saturday.

Donald Trump may not "need other people's money," as Masterson put it, but any moron capable of finding Trump's website will quickly notice the "donate now" button. Also, to hold that the influence of those with money on the political scene will "rot the entire process" and a few paragraphs later hold that the billionaire who has worked the system for decades through major donations on both sides of the aisle has "the best interests of the people and of our nation at heart" is, intellectually speaking, either inconsistent or dishonest.

Also, claiming to care about the will of our framers ("How Washington and our founders who fought and died for individual liberties and freedom must be cringing ...") and approving of the views of Bernie Sanders is, at best, intellectually careless.

Sanders likely would initiate confiscatory tax rates, federalize education, and work toward the national ownership of the means of production (that's what "socialism" means, after all). Socialism leads to death in huge numbers wherever it's tried--Russia, China, Cuba, you name it.

Masterson generally seems to have a good heart and a good sense of humor, but perhaps he should go back to the drawing board in connecting his beliefs and his politics.

STEPHEN DAWSON

Little Rock

To do before you die

If people simply said, right before they die, "Please forgive me, Lord," I believe they will be saved, even if they have had a horrid moral life. But it takes faith in the Lord to be able to do that.

Call me if I can help you.

THOMAS KELLER

Little Rock

Separate that traffic

I know everyone has opinions about the I-30 bridge mess. I, for one, still think the area needs a bridge from the bottom of Cantrell Hill or Chester Street across to Pike Avenue/Pulaski Tech area.

But for me and lot of other people on the north side, an extension of I-630 and/or I-530 to cross the river and link up with U.S. 67/167 would be best in that it would ease the I-30 headache and redesignate the Jacksonville freeway as an interstate. But that's a financial pipe dream.

The people in the Heights and Hillcrest who are fighting the bridge expansion to 10 lanes should have to work nights and have to come across the bridge at 7:30 a.m. on their way home. Better yet, let them drive from Jacksonville or Cabot for three months. We may live elsewhere, but we pay sales taxes in Little Rock and North Little Rock too.

But the best suggestion is that the project be built as four side-by-side bridges: three or four lanes for the I-30 and I-630 southbound traffic with the exit at Sixth or Ninth Street, and a separate bridge section with a two-lane on-ramp for the Broadway traffic that would exit onto Capitol Avenue or Fourth Street. The two bridges would be separate, and traffic couldn't merge until across the river.

The highway department would need one of those Texas under/over ramps like they have in San Antonio to move traffic wanting to get on the freeway and Jacksonville traffic wanting to get off at Ninth or Sixth Street. But it would really help if there was a way to keep part of the North Little Rock traffic from the JFK on-ramp separate from the I-30 southbound and I-630-bound traffic.

Again, the main problem with the bridge is the steep, slow climb up the ramp and merging by Broadway traffic. Make that traffic separate and you solve most of the backups.

KEITH WEBER

Jacksonville

Should learn of costs

I enjoyed some of the pieces on a recent Voices page, including "A vital education" about teaching children economics, and John Brummett's "Raging against the needy," as well as a front-page story on Medicaid funding moving to the Senate.

Arkansas has a balanced-budget law for state government spending. How do we provide all these funds for programs? The citizens need to be better informed of costs and future expected expenses. The year 2020 seems to be projected as a full-load 10 percent expense to Medicaid. What will be the growth rate to Medicaid by 2020?

The boomers retire at an alarming rate and most don't have funds to purchase their health insurance. The young generation entering eligible age to work seem to believe all should be free.

It may be time for all of us to read The Case of the Shrunken Allowance. Read up, Arkansas.

LEO STEELE

Texarkana

Leave bigotry behind

Until every member of the human race steps outside our individual tiny boxes, and educate ourselves on different lifestyles and cultures, the world will be ruled by hate and bigotry.

LOIS E. RACHELS

Sherwood

Editorial on 04/26/2016

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