Improve for all pupils
Removing funding from public education to spend on vouchers for charter schools helps charter-enrolled students via smaller class sizes, involved parents, and students involved in the learning process prior to transferring to charter school.
Instead of investing in new brick-and-mortar schools, why not improve the current educational system for all students? The funds spent on charter schools will result in poorer public education and public-educated students unable to succeed.
BILL FRITZ
Hot Springs Village
Transparency is vital
I read Tim Griffin's complaints at having to defend his actions attacking the Freedom of Information Act.
He cries that he doesn't have to have his group open to the public, as if transparency only exists at gunpoint. How about just being transparent because it's the right thing to do? He cries that open meetings will be disruptive, even though the public still wouldn't be able to speak. He cries that he could've kept the whole thing secret, but decided not to, out of the goodness of his heart.
Mike Masterson recently pointed out that Griffin never mentioned that one of his appointees to the working group is his former chief of staff and campaign manager, David Ray, who was visibly upset near the end of the 2023 regular session when an obvious attempt to neuter the state's Freedom of Information Act failed miserably.
The public well understands that government has two sets of information: information about citizens and information about government officials. Every concern Griffin gives is about protecting government officials.
It didn't take long after he got elected for him to change his support for transparency.
At the hearing of the bill that three members of his working group backed, citizen upon citizen testified about the horror stories in trying to get public records and how serious wrongdoings were revealed over the objections of government officials that Griffin seeks to insulate now.
Griffin would do well to understand the history of the FOIA before he seeks to rewrite it for some government official's political end. I would strongly recommend that someone within the citizenry who completely understands the FOIA process and would advocate for the citizens of Arkansas be added to the committee to ensure fair and equitable representation.
Transparency in our government isn't a partisan issue. Transparency is an intricate part of a constitutional republic.
WAYNE BEECH
Holly Grove
Doing inadequate job
I would like to respond to J. Fred Hart Jr. regarding his letter on gun advocacy.
At no time in any administration do I recollect there being a call for "confiscation of all firearms." There has only been a call for responsible gun ownership and for stalling the accessibility of weapons like the AR-15 that have been used in a significant number of mass shootings.
It seems to me that the current gun laws are doing an inadequate job protecting "the poor, the defenseless and marginalized."
SUSAN TURTON WEEKS
Sherwood
Flashback
Editor's note: This letter was originally published 10 years ago today.
A refreshing change
What a pleasure it was to read a recent Sunday paper. For a change, there were many articles concerning wholesome, forward-looking, uplifting activities instead of all the usual blood, guts, violence and politics.
In the front-page section alone, there was the article about the Danzon dancers in Mexico; the news about renewed weather-sleuthing methods being put into use; the description of the Grand Central Terminal revitalization; food banks' efforts in procuring fresh produce; and the Oglala Sioux Indian tribe's hopes of joining with the U.S. government to re-establish buffalo in the Badlands National Park.
I hope there will be many more such articles in the future. We need to read about the good things going on in our world, not just the negative aspects of life.
KATHI PURNELL
Horseshoe Bend