Sunday's Letters to the editor

Streets not a priority

Dear editor:

I read the letter from the young lady about the conditions of our streets in District 3. I live on Gardner, and I have to agree, the streets (especially Cooper and West Hobson) are appalling. She did say she was relatively new to Hot Springs, so I hate to tell her, but don't hold your breath on Becca Clark or the board in general to address the issue. Street conditions, despite the fact you correctly pointed out about tearing up your vehicle, simply aren't a priority.

I previously lived in District 4 and despite numerous contacts with Carroll Weatherford, the district director, we could never get anything done.

The city can't say the money is not there: They spend millions on baseball fields, bike trails, and hundreds of thousands commissioning studies on various other pet projects. The answer is simply that they don't care about the streets.

Not all the streets, though. I was driving across town this morning, and I can tell you a street that is paved immaculately: Country Club Road. Should tell you a lot about who runs this town and who the board of directors answers to. It's certainly not the average citizen.

Marvin Lee

Hot Springs

King Donald pounces

Dear editor:

Just after his cowardly Republican senators acquitted him the following facts were reported in our The Sentinel-Record these past few days:

1. Trump's $1.5 billion proposal to prop up the country's nuclear fuel industry is really about helping a few uranium companies that can't compete in the global market, buying him votes and money just as he did with coal. This action could help open a mine very near the Grand Canyon's South Rim and expose the beautiful area to contaminated water.

2. Trump declared he has the "legal right" to intervene in criminal cases and sidestep the Justice Department. Attorney General Barr has mildly complained but he still carries out the king's orders. Roger Stone will go free and Michael Flynn, after confessing, will get the next pass. Four proud, honest government attorneys quit in disgust! Trump henchmen have no fears; there are always pardons.

3. Trump's plans to remake Medicaid were ruled "arbitrary and capricious" by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals.

4. Defense Secretary Esper also followed the king's order and moved $3.8 billion from the congressionally approved budget for new aircraft and other military programs to Trump's wall! Campaign promises overrule Congress and our long-term security.

5. Trump's favorite employee, Education Secretary DeVos (who contributes millions to his campaign), unleashed one of his favorites, "block grant money to the states for all elementary and secondary education funds." This will expand charter schools and ramp up more segregation.

6. Trump's Interior Department has opened up huge areas of public lands to mining and oil production where "the benefits go to the oligarchs who put more money into their pockets -- not other public land users or other taxpayers." Again, the rich get richer and buy Trump more votes.

7. Just today, Trump proclaimed himself "the chief police officer of this country" while commuting the sentences of 11 of his cronies.

And let's not leave out our state congressional team following Trump orders. They voted solidly the party line mandates last week by saying "no" to extending the Equal Rights Amendment, "no" to adding 1.4 million unspoiled acres in three states to the National Wilderness Protection System, and "no" to limiting Trump's war powers without congressional approval!

The King's power now seems unlimited, as was Hitler's at the beginning of his reign. Money, power, and greed have replaced God and country in our ruler's world, defecating upon our lives and future.

Jim Pumphrey

Garland County

Letters draw responses

Dear editor:

These are responses to two recent letter writers.

"Doc" Crawford, the liberal who pretends that he is not a liberal, in his (Friday, Feb. 14) letter, was critical of two of my favorite writers, Dr. Jack Sternberg and Mr. John Grillo.

Before that, you also criticized another great conservative Christian writer, Mary Robinson.

It seems like you have a long history of regularly attacking those of us who are Christians and conservatives! You claim that you are a Christian, but I am perplexed as to why you seem to delight in habitually criticizing Christian and conservative writers.

The Bible teaches Christians to encourage one another, not to discourage those who are standing for what is good! "Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up ... " (1 Thess. 5:11)

And after tearing us all down, you often end your letters by telling us to "Have a good day!" You seem to be really proud of yourself for working against us with your many critical attacks!

Whenever I ask some other genuine Christians what they think about your letters, it might surprise you to learn what they say. Invariably they tell me that they really dislike what you write! Obviously, you aren't helping us to "Have a good day!"

In your last letter, you stated that your favorite Republican president of the past was Theodore Roosevelt, who used the motto that you like: "Speak softly, but carry a big stick."

Perhaps you might like another one of his quotes. He said, "To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth."

You know, "Doc," I rather like ol' Teddy, too!

Gordon Smith (Sunday, Feb. 16) who opened his letter by saying, "Lloyd Hoffman seems to be a man who reads his Bible daily."

Thanks for such a nice compliment! I certainly try to read the Bible very regularly. I wholeheartedly recommend it for you and anybody else who wants to know God better!

After all, it is God's primary way of speaking to mankind. Is that not important?

I also researched Dr. Erwin Lutzer (whom I had quoted) and found that you were correct about the lawsuit against him for writing about another pastor. I would like to know more specific details about what happened. I still maintain that he must have really been a great pastor for the Moody Church since they kept him there for more than 30 years! This unfortunate incident should not hurt the credibility of Dr. Lutzer's many great sermons and books.

You kept charging that I was "condemning" people who don't believe what I believe about being a true Christian. Let's look at what the Bible says about this.

John 3:18 says, "Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

You see, a man condemns himself to hell if he hasn't sincerely trusted in Jesus Christ to be his Lord and Savior!

Lloyd Hoffman

Hot Springs

Think outside the box

Dear editor

As a voter who tries to support candidates who will do the necessary and difficult job regardless of party affiliation, I keep hoping that members of both parties in Congress who relish identifying all the terrible problems facing our country will work together to identify viable solutions and at least try to implement such solutions. Instead, in Sen. Ted Cruz's words, we have those who "clutch our pearls" instead of working together for our common country's well-being. If Congress had done its job over the past few decades, we would not have a President Trump. Too often politicians of both parties have put on the back-burner solutions to immigration and education in order to keep the problems alive to garner votes. After the Affordable Care Act was passed, Dr. Jonathon Gruber, one of the act's architects, was on tape saying that the politicians "depended on the stupidity of the American people" for its passage. It is time for our representatives to pass legislation without more loopholes than leaky garden hoses.

In modern history, President Clinton was snookered by Arafat who embezzled $22 million dollars from Palestinian aid. President George W. Bush led us into Afghanistan where we tried to change a culture thousands of years old. President Bush, because of manipulated intelligence, took us into Iraq and the end of Saddam Hussein's reign, the Saddam Hussein who kept the Iranian mullahs in check. Muammar Qadhafi of Libya had given up his nukes during Bush 43's term; however, President Obama decided he had to go. So now Libya has open slave markets. I don't know about any other voters, but I'm pretty sure don't want to continue these courses of action. Therefore, I have been more than ready for a non-politician to think outside the political box so the U.S. can participate in world affairs without an open piggy bank.

A few decades ago, I worked in a research and development department where the main office where design work for prototypes was done had a prominent sign that reminded all of us to "Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way." It is long past time for members of Congress to find areas to agree and work on worthwhile legislation rather than fixate on President Trump's behavior. His behavior is no worse than that exhibited by the Biden family, Nancy Pelosi's husband and son, or John's Kerry's stepson. Any one of us whose family was constantly attacked the way members of the Trump family has would come out swinging. We all, even the most reprehensible, have the right to defend ourselves and it is a disgrace that some associated with President Trump have been bankrupted and imprisoned for the same actions that have been taken by some with a D after their names who have been protected by abuse of power wielded by a former administration. Thank you for the opportunity to voice my opinion.

Janet Riccio

Hot Springs

Editorial on 02/23/2020

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