City's 2040 Plan survey
not reflective of residents
When the city did its survey several months ago to update their goals for Fayetteville (called the 2040 Plan), it was biased in that not all people groups and neighborhoods knew about it and the questions themselves were leading.
From what I can see, the residents in Fayetteville who all live in neighborhoods do not like upzoning (higher density residential and commercial) forced upon their neighborhoods. Most still believe in compatibility, protecting our trees and the environment. The current 2030 Plan and the updated 2040 Plan make forced upzoning their top priority.
If you don't agree with our city officials on this, please speak up and request a redo of the 2040 Plan survey so we can correct this unwanted practice before it is too late.
Lisa Orton
Fayetteville
Internet tax change
not for 'little guys'
Doug Thompson reported in Sunday's paper that in a forum held by the Rogers-Lowell and Bentonville chambers of commerce on Senate Bill 576, lawmakers said the bill, which will require out-of-state Internet sellers to collect sales tax from Arkansas buyers, will also reduce Arkansas' top corporate tax rate. I can understand that chambers of commerce have a strong interest in lowering corporate tax rates by taking money from the little guys, and legislators have a strong interest in pleasing the corporate lobbyists, but I have a different idea.
The purpose of a sales tax is to provide funding for services from which both the little guys and local businesses benefit, such as street maintenance to allow us to drive to the business, a fire department to keep the business from burning down, a police department to keep gang bangers from robbing the businesses or robbing us in the parking lot, and a justice system to lock them up when they do, but what would we and the out-of-state businesses get for the tax money that they would be obliged to collect and we would be obliged to pay? The average little guy is not going to benefit from lowered corporate tax rates and the out-of-state businesses would only benefit if the tax revenue was used to facilitate our being able to do business with them, just as the locally collected sales taxes do for local businesses.
Since we are not traveling physically to those out-of-state businesses, I suggest that any bill requiring them to collect and us to pay out-of-state Internet sales taxes also require the state of Arkansas to use the revenue to provide broadband internet access to us little guys. If so, I would be in favor of it and I'd re-allocate the $500 I now pay annually for access to out-of-state internet businesses and I would spend it shopping on line. If, however, the state is just going to hand it over to the corporations in the form of lowering their taxes while increasing ours, I am not in favor of more taxation on Peter to pay Paul. Or is that to Pay Pal?
Phil Warner
Garfield
Poisons can endanger unintended targets
Dogs and cats are curious and fragile creatures. Recently, a dear friend's small dog died after ingesting rat poison that it found in a neighboring yard.
Please remember poisons are deadly to both humans and pets. Before baiting any ground-
level or reachable spot, the Centers for Disease Control recommends notifying neighbors with pets or small children. Taking these simple precautions could save a life and heartache.
Julie Horner
Bella Vista
Commentary on 04/12/2019