Local news: Tuesday 3/31
Highway 16 is getting fatter
Tonight’s your chance to see first-hand what Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department officials have planned for the widening of the stretch of road between S. College and Stonebridge Rd. See “Public meeting tonight for Arkansas 16 widening” (NWA Times) for more. Then check out what Aubrey Shepherd has to say about the potential threat this widening will be for a major NWA watershed.
Highway 71 is scooting over
What do you do when a highway gets re-routed to within a few hundred yards of your house? Check out “Homeowner Undecided On Airport’s Highway Shift” (Morning News) by Skip Descant for more or “Airport project will relocate portion of U.S. 71B highway” (NWA Times) by Robin Mero.
Fayetteville Tea Party
National TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party Day is April 15. “‘Tea Party’ Protest Set In Fayetteville” (Morning News) has more and so does The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s brand new Northwest opinion editor, Mike Masterson.
Comments
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Wesley
March 31, 2009
No, we aren’t nearly taxed enough already, considering a lot of us don’t have health care, or even proper roads anymore. Considering how ****ty education is, especially in Arkansas. How ****ty our foster care system is. How ****ty all our state wide public services are.
No we are not not taxed enough. If we we’re then I would hope we wouldn’t have the second worst schools in the nation.
Total Bastard
March 31, 2009
Hey Wesley.
I have healthcare. I worked my way through college, got a good job, and pay for it myself.
People who qualify for “public services” don’t pay taxes anyway.
Your premise assumes that government doesn’t waste our tax money, and that its government’s job to provide you with all that you need.
I think thats pretty weak. Waah… give me. I can’t do it for myself. Lame.
The government wastes my tax dollars on all manner of stupid ****. I’m not really enthused about giving them more of my money.
At most, the government should provide a framework for private enterprise to provide services like the ones you need and can’t afford.
Government rarely does anything efficiently or well, except fight needless wars, and blow money.
Higher taxes won’t solve anything for anybody.
Scott Stapp of Creed
March 31, 2009
I have healthcare too. I also worked my way through college, got a good government job, and now you pay for my healthcare. The reason that you do is that the government decided they should hire only the best, which happens to be me. They like to provide for the best by offering us healthcare to keep us happy and healthy, because happy and healthy workers are efficient workers. That’s right, efficient. Can’t speak for all government organizations (just like you can’t speak for all people who qualify for public services, whatever that even means coming from you) but I resent you saying I do nothing efficiently or well. Besides, we all know that private enterprise has never done any damage, have they? It’s almost as if the public and private sector need to work together, each keeping each other in check. But what do I know, I’m not a reactionary simple-minded Libertarian. Let me guess, you’re for a flat tax too?
Scott Stapp of Creed
March 31, 2009
And other discussions I’ve had with junior high students.
Total Bastard
March 31, 2009
Scotty:
Don’t take it personally, but HELL NO, no government entity does its job as efficiently as an equivalent for-profit enterprise. They lack what drives private business, which is profit incentive.
Try to get something done at the U of A.
Or the post office.
Or at the courthouse, the capital, the revenue office, etc etc etc. They are staffed by a bunch of Peter Principled entitlees with a cover-your-ass, make-no-decisions, pass it down the line mentality. I can see you fitting right in. I can also see you making that type of govt wage. Health care is the least you could get for the paltry salaries people like yourself make. But you don’t deserve more. The government gets what it pays for, most certainly.
Congratulations on being a drone who doesn’t have the balls or skill-set to make tough decisions, or risk it in the private sector, creating wealth that makes civlized life (and lackluster government servitude for less-than-exceptional people like yourself) possible.
Back to the point. No,none are run as efficiently as a for-profit business.
You only “resent” what I said because you took it personally. And you probably took it personally because it rings true.
Scott Stapp of Creed
April 1, 2009
Good point. So let’s talk about AIG and Enron and how efficient and ballsy they are at generating those profits that enrich the lives of the civilized man. Cause if you’re going to compare every local, state and federal government employee to some dusty, forgotten government tier on the hierarchy chart that isn’t exactly 100% vital, then I see no reason why I shouldn’t compare every free-market enterprise in the good ol’ US of A to the model of greed and deceit that these mis-managed bailed-out corporations are.
Me
April 1, 2009
I for one have an income tax rate of 30%. I also pay plenty of property tax, sales tax, etc. so I would say that yes, I am taxed enough. I will say that even with that rate, we are still well below many other countries so I’m not staging a protest or anything.
I did work my ass off to get a good job and I do have healthcare. I won’t say anything about the status of those receiving public services, but I will say that I doubt Wesley pays the taxes that I do or he would not be asking for more. Most people that feel taxes should be higher do not pay income tax and possibly property tax. It is easy to say the city should receive and spend more money when it is not coming from them.
As for government efficiency, I have to agree that on average (not just looking at AIG or the DMV as examples) the government is much less efficient than private businesses. That’s not to say that Scott Stapp isn’t efficient or that there aren’t tons of wonderful people working in government. That’s also not saying that all government entities are inefficient; some do a great job and provide great services. There are also thousands of private businesses that trive for every one business that fails (or should be allowed to fail) because of mis management or poor market judgement.
So there’s my two cents…
Wesley
April 1, 2009
I pay plenty of taxes. Unlike other people though I see it as patriotic and I’m glad to do so.
Considering the low tax Rate in Arkansas and the ****ty state of her public services; you guy’s should be the last ones bitching about being taxed more.