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GeneralJackTRipper

Harps' "employee-owned" slogan is little more than a marketing scam. It's an ESOP, run by Harps MANAGEMENT. The company pays its employees minimum wage, never gives raises, tells all new hires that the company is "morally opposed to unions" (that very phrase is on page 1 of the employee handbook), and they have health insurance that's a joke. They are just a wannabe Walmart.

May 25, 2012 at 9:23 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Transit Tax Crashes

Mike Malone and Jeff Hawkins have a lot of explainin' to do about their hatchet job on the transit program.

As executive director of the NW Ark. Council, Mike's campaign to kill transit doesn't square with the mission of his organization when he lied repeatedly, attacking Ozark Regional Transit.

This is from the NWA Council website:

"The NW Arkansas Council is a private sector-led community development organization dedicated to improving the social and economic well being of our citizens. With the help of a large number of community organizations, and community leaders, we’re taking proactive measures to help:

Improve our transportation system...
...Create, expand and attract new investment to expand and diversify job opportunities."

So much for all the jobs that would be directly created by commuter transit and the many more that would be created indirectly.

Transit jobs are permanent, green jobs that help reduce pollution and reflect the sustainability that the NWA Council claims as another of its goals.

Is it the NWA Council's position that sustainable transportation is not the kind of sustainability they want here?

Then there's Mr. Jeff Hawkins, who has a conflict of interest as director of two organizations that should be at least at arm's length: the NW Arkansas Regional Mobility Authority and the NW Arkansas Regional Planning Commission. That didn't stop him from making similar unfounded and mendacious personal attacks on O.R.T.'s leaders.

We need to pay special attention to Mr. Hawkins' quote in the NWA Times on May 23 where he stated that the $7.7 million that would be raised by the defeated sales tax was "too much." As the person whose two jobs it is to promote highways and provide sound, science-based transportation planning technical assistance, it's time for you to tell the public just how much you think is "enough" to fund and operate a commuter transit system.

Mike Malone and Jeff Hawkins owe a debt to the people of northwest Arkansas for having played leading roles in torpedoing the work of so many committed volunteers who worked so hard to provide leadership in this vital economic development and transportation program. Malone and Hawkins abdicated as long as they could, and when they saw someone was doing what they would not do, they personally maligned and misrepresented the work they did. Is this what these two gentlemen get paid to do?

All we've heard from the Council, the Regional Mobility Authority and the Regional Planning Commission is to go away and come back another day, after the highways have been built and the concrete dreams have been fulfilled. Maybe then they'll toss a few dollars our direction.

We need leadership not lip service. We're waiting to hear your plan, Mike and Jeff.

May 25, 2012 at 7:37 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

COMMENTARY Here’s A Case For ‘The Finger’

I am all for the Fayetteville Finger. Not because I would get to vote for Mike Ross but because I could run against him -- and have a fair chance of getting some attention to the issues that progressives care about!

Steve Clark is kissing Republican ass. Forget him. I say give Steve Womack and his right-wing Republican buddies the Fayetteville Finger!

March 29, 2011 at 6:24 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Bill Will Allow Handguns In Church

Or rather, WHO would Jesus shoot? What was that line about the other cheek? The only cheek I'm seeing is Representative Rapert's for being such an, well, an unchristian for pushing his ideological gun fetish on the unsuspecting and mostly unwilling congregants of Arkansas churches. These gun lovers like Mr. Rapert can't go polish their pistols in the privacy of their own vehicles? Is there not a twelve-step program for firearms addicts?

March 12, 2011 at 2:40 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Bill Will Allow Handguns In Church

What would Jesus shoot?

March 12, 2011 at 2:33 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Council Passes Streamside Protection Ordinance

Many thanks are due the seven members of the City Council who voted for the Streamside Protection Ordinance, and to Mayor Jordan who gave an eloquent speech in favor of the bill prior to the vote. Council Member Sarah Lewis led the 11-month process of shaping the ordinance in her position as Chair of the city's Environmental Action Committee. The city's staff members all did excellent work in the areas of planning, engineering, legal research, community outreach and other support functions.

Our rivers and streams are precious sources of drinking water, recreation, ecological services and aesthetic beauty. With our recent population growth has come much damage to water quality and to the streams themselves through soil erosion, sedimentation and pollution. Fayetteville is stepping up to address this problem, demonstrating once again its well-deserved reputation as a leader among local governments in the State of Arkansas. I look forward to the day (soon?) when the Washington County Quorum Court will expand the provisions of the city's new S.P.O. county-wide.

March 2, 2011 at 1:53 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Hutchinson files bill ensuring USA-made flags

So Donna Hutchinson wants a buy-American law, but only for the cheap flags that fly over the capitol? What's wrong, Donna, your free-tradin' republican policies don't work for your political agenda all the time? I think the Lege should amend her bill to REQUIRE all flags flown over the capitol be made in China until NAFTA and GATT are repealed and we bring our jobs home.

February 24, 2011 at 8:31 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Group Advocates Smoke-Free Bars

Hooray for Adella Gray! She's a courageous voice for protecting public health from the self-centered, air pollution-producing drug addicts who give no thought to putting others at risk.

February 24, 2011 at 8:28 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

House Cuts Trail Money, Womack Spokesman Says

The Solution is not to cut spending on programs that benefit our people; it is to RAISE TAXES on the wealthy, greedy few who are raking in hundreds of millions of dollars and socking it away or stashing it in the Cayman Islands.

February 24, 2011 at 8:25 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Police Watch College Avenue

Nail 'em, Chief Tabor! Aggravated drivers are dangerous drivers. Sure, the highway department is to blame for the poorly designed intersection but that doesn't give anyone license to run the red light.

Drivers turning left should "tailgate" the car in front of them to keep the signal from switching. Unfortunately, too many people either are not paying attention or they take their time going through the intersection, causing the switch to trip. Then many of these slow-pokes run the red light!

February 24, 2011 at 7:54 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

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