In high drug price fight, where has Cotton been?
I noticed with interest that Tom Cotton is going to fight the big drug companies if/when he gets re elected.
He's been there eight years. Why hasn't he done something before now?
Doug Smoyer
Springdale
Give thought to most important vote ever
Many have already voted. However, some are still waiting and I hope they'll give some thought to what is probably the most important vote they'll ever cast.
The virus is surging. We have the second-highest death rate per person in the United States. Hospital bed spaces are tight. Do you think we should have a requirement that people should wear a mask? The governor has asked, but there is no requirement. Otherwise, we would have one. If we did and science is correct, some of those dead people who happen to be moms, dads, grandpas and grandmas would still be around.
Who's behind this lack of effort? For starters, 18 Republicans filed a lawsuit because of the restrictions we now have. It settled in the state's favor. They have promised to file it again.
Because Hispanics and Marshallese were dying at a much higher rate in our area, a federal grant of $7 million was secured to help them. It required approval from a group of legislators. On the first round nine Democrats voted for it. Twelve Republicans and one Democrat voted against the bill. They were called back and, to their credit, enough, though not all, of the 13 voted for it and it passed.
When people go vote, they will be voting for or against some of those legislators who seem to think wearing masks is some kind of constitutional rights issue. Why don't you take the time to ask them what they believe and to check and see how they voted. No beating around the bush. Do you think people should be required to wear a mask, safe distance, etc.? No certain conditions -- a yes or no. What do they propose to do? A record check will give you an answer. Never mind the political party. We are talking about a doctor, a teacher, a dad, a mom who will never come home.
Ask yourself the most important question of all: Do your rights give you the right to possibly kill or seriously impair the life of another person? Does it give you the right to put them in a position so they cannot support their families, can never get out of debt and so many other things. No matter what you believe, are you willing to wear a mask, social distance, etc. just in case it might help?
Give that a lot of thought and go vote!
Bonnie Barton Cook
Fayetteville
A little advice for nonvoters
If you choose not to vote on or before Nov. 3, then don't gripe about the results.
Vicki Spranza
Farmington
Storms point to needed change in climate policy
Louisiana was hit by a hurricane -- that's old news. Louisiana was hit by two hurricanes within six weeks -- that's new news. Also notable is that we've run out of English letters to name our hurricanes and have resorted to the Greek alphabet.
Hurricane Delta was the second hurricane to hit Louisiana this season. Will there be more? How many will there be next year? What else will global warming throw at us in the coming years? How much will it cost us in lives uprooted or lost? In destroyed property and small businesses damaged?
There are many things we, as a society, need to do to begin to repair the damage we have done to our planet. Some of them are painful; some are opportunities. Some will require sacrifice and are long term. But the quickest, easiest, and most immediately effective, would be to pass The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 763), which has over 80 co-sponsors in the House. It would enact a steadily rising fee on carbon pollution and return a monthly dividend to American citizens. It also includes a border adjustment to protect American jobs and economically pressure other countries to clean up their economies. It provides important exemptions for agriculture.
This is the least we must do immediately to assure our descendants have a habitable planet to call home.
Al Brooks
Waldron