Taking issue with Issue 1
Dear editor:
Do you remember that a vote was held in 2012 that passed a "temporary" 0.5% additional sales tax for roads in Arkansas? We were told that, if this passed, the acceptance of the temporary pain from this tax would provide the funds needed for numerous specific road improvements such as the 70 east improvements and the long-awaited extension of the King Expressway toward Hot Springs Village. Best thing about it was the assurance that this would be a temporary tax, lasting no more than 10 years.
Well, it passed and the tax can finally expire in June 2023. Although more than two years away from expiring, some of the same proponents that assured us the tax would only be temporary want us to vote for Issue 1 on our upcoming ballot. If passed, Issue 1 would extend the temporary 0.5% addition; not a couple more years, not another 10 years, but it would become another permanent tax.
Now some proponents are claiming that passing Issue 1 won't raise taxes and/or would not be a new tax. What if you had a 10-year mortgage that was getting close to being paid off and someone told you they think it would be a great idea for you to continue paying the same monthly amount permanently? Would you feel like that is not costing you more? Maybe they could try the same line of reasoning with an inmate that had agreed to serve a 10-year sentence in a plea bargain. Seven years in they could suggest extending the sentence duration to life. They could assure the prisoner by explaining that no new charges are being levied against them, and yet the prisoner might still feel they are being asked to pay more.
Is it just me, or does this seem like we are being asked to pay more? Increasing the duration from 10 to 20 years would be doubling. Increasing from 10 years to permanent is a much bigger increase than that.
Let's keep this temporary tax a temporary tax and for once let a temporary tax actually be what it's proponents claimed it would be. To make it temporary we must first vote against Issue 1. No doubt since there is still more than two years remaining on the original temporary tax, we need to be ready to vote against extending this tax on future ballots.
Ron Kew
Hot Springs
Trump by the numbers
Dear editor:
Recently in a letter headlined "No comparison" a writer backing President Trump posed an answer to the question many have asked: What has Trump done since taking office?
The writer listed building the wall, bringing companies back from overseas, decreasing unemployment, putting more Blacks and women to work, reintroducing the Capitol Prayer Breakfast and keeping God in the Pledge of Allegiance. Let's look at some facts and numbers for these and other topics in the Trump presidency gathered from various news and information sources:
1. Number of church services attended since taking office (not counting photo ops): 8.
2. Number of golf rounds played at Trump-owned facilities: 278, as of Sept. 6.
3. Cost of Trump golf to American taxpayers: $141,000,000.
4. Number of miles of new wall built along the Mexico border: 3.
5. Amount paid by Mexico for border wall: $0.
6. Documented lies and misrepresentations while in office: 20,000, as of July 9.
7. Lies and misrepresentations about the COVID-19 pandemic: 1,200.
8. Jobs lost during term: 7,800,000, including 71,000 in coal mining, 274,000 in manufacturing.
9. Amount paid to settle federal civil R.I.C.O. (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act) and state fraud claims involving Trump University: $25,000,000.
10. Amount paid as "hush money" to porn star: $130,000.
11. Number of women accusing or suing Trump claiming sexual assault: 25.
12. Individuals in Trump administration who resigned or were fired: 418, a record.
13. Advisors convicted of crimes: 8.
14. Impeachments: 1.
15. Health care: Administration suing to repeal ACA. No plan for replacement.
16. Deaths of Americans from COVID-19 pandemic: 200,000 plus, as of Sept 20, the highest in the world.
Clearly, the previously mentioned writer was correct in one sense. There is no comparison.
Steven Rittenmeyer
Hot Springs Village