No tax hike for ‘Grand Imperial Library’
I’ve recently learned that there’s to be a special election in Fayetteville on Aug. 9 on the matter of raising property taxes to fund library expansion. I plan to vote against this property tax increase.
We’re already taxed exorbitantly, and I’m convinced many in government do not seek tax increases in response to real needs, but their true agenda is to continually raise taxes, another tax increase about every 6 months regardless of real needs. They can always invent some alleged need to justify the next tax increase. In this case the library serves the purpose.
Libraries have become somewhat obsolete as the Internet now gives most people immediate access wherever they are to far more information than there is in the library. So there’s certainly no need for library expansion.
Personally I don’t particularly like the new Grand Imperial Library anyway. The old library on Dickson Street was like a friendly smalltown library that I enjoyed going to. The new one seems to have been designed more as a display of grandiosity than to serve community needs. One of the things I liked best about the old library was the magazine-and-book exchange near the entrance where people could leave publications for others or pick up what others had left. I picked up many interesting and valuable publications there. The library management decided not to continue this popular community resource at the new building although many asked for its continuation.
Let’s not give them more money when they ignore reasonable public requests to continue with popular and valuable services.
JOE ALEXANDER
Fayetteville
Newspaper’s editors should watch ‘Late Night’
I’ve lived in Arkansas all my life besides the 10 years in Norman, Okla., and when I was in Oklahoma, I watched the Republican Party start creeping in. And when I came home to Arkansas, the Republicans had even taken over the newspaper. I haven’t seen such one-sidedness in my life. The only stories that are printed about the presidential race and your pick of a candidate is when there is something in the letter to knock the Clintons. It’s how unethical they are, I think, that is calling the kettle black.
Remember the hanging chads or just trying to conquer and divide the Democratic Party? Well, it’s not going to work. And this is to put this paper on notice. It is your job to the people in Arkansas to show both sides of the story, not just to make your party look good. In fact, what you editors ought to do is turn on your TV about 11:30 p.m. and watch “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” The reason? To open your eyes about your party’s candidate and you also need to admit your party is broken and an embarrassment to the United States of America.
I know you won’t print this, because you would deny it. But one show of “Late Night” will show you writers how one-sided you are.
One more thing: I am a real Arkansaser, not a transplant. And Hillary will win this election because of the hate that permeates the Republican Party. Divide that!
BILLY LONG
Fayetteville