Merger good news
With oil prices rising above $ 115 per barrel, many individuals as well as companies, including airlines, are struggling to make ends meet. So I had some reservations when I first heard about the merger between Delta and Northwest Airlines. But being involved in the travel industry, I now see how this merger will be a good thing for Arkansas.
The two companies' pledge to not close any hubs bodes well for my colleagues in the industry and my customers at the timeshare company for which I work. I believe this merger will help secure local airline jobs, as well as travel jobs like mine, through the creation of a stronger, more economically viable airline that will result as these two companies combine. Smaller regional airports like ours here in northwest Arkansas are lucky to have access to a major international carrier like Delta. Having such an airline, literally in our backyard, makes it more convenient for our industry's customers who might not have to drive very far to reach a major hub. Plus, the economic impact that Delta brings to our region is very valuable - it benefits those working directly with the airline and those like me who work indirectly with airlines every day. I believe that the merger between Delta and Northwest will help offset these high oil prices and help keep jobs here and elsewhere that might otherwise be lost as a result of bankruptcy. It will be good for this region.
Melissa Woods
Bentonville
Story didn't cover everything
The story "Hey, you guys ! … "that The Daily Record published April 24 about the Carroll Electric meeting with the residents of Bent Tree, Berry Farm and surrounding neighborhoods really did not capture the essence of the meeting. What the story failed to recap was the fact that the residents of these neighborhoods were willing to pay at least a portion of the costs for these lines to be put underground.
In fact, that is exactly what we did when we purchased homes in developments that were planned with in-ground utilities for prices considerably higher than those with aboveground power lines.
The story also failed to mention the fact that the Carroll Electric representatives who came to the meeting were completely unprepared to answer questions about the incremental cost of putting the power lines underground instead of overhead, or even what the power lines would look like.
Another key point of the meeting was about home values - or, more importantly, the decrease in tax revenues that will result from devaluing millions of dollars worth of homes by 10 percent to 30 percent, and potentially leaving close to 100 lots undeveloped, costing the city more than $ 400, 000 annually.
It was also pointed out that the city of Springdale has an ordinance preventing aboveground power lines in new developments, but Rogers does not. To this fact, Mayor Womack couldn't help but agree that Springdale is the more progressive community.
All of these points aside, the most important thing that was not reported in this story is the fact that West Drive is not the only place Carroll Electric has plans to put power lines aboveground.
I'm curious - did you even attend the meeting or just report what you saw on the evening news ?
Chris Bedford
Rogers
Check your sources
The Mongs quite correctly condemn us all for our gullibility and self-centeredness, so I'm sure they've done their research and are satisfied that the more than $ 1. 6 million in campaign contributions Sen. Inhofe has received from the energy and natural resources sector had no bearing on his report.
I know they'll also appreciate these facts about the Inhofe Report: Of the 413 people cited as experts, 84 have either taken money from, or are connected to, petroleum and related industries or think-tanks founded and supported by those industries; 49 are retired; 44 are TV weathermen; 20 are economists; 70 have no known expertise in climate science; and several others have publicly stated their concern about global warming and are supportive of efforts to address it.
One man claims he was "duped"and regrets signing the list.
If the Mongs have access to the Internet, I would urge them to look up the Web site of the American Geophysical Union (agu. org ), where they will find the consensus of 50, 000 or so earth, ocean and atmospherics scientists in a statement titled "Human Impacts on Climate. "They will also be able to scrutinize the methods used by these scientists to arrive at this consensus.
By the way, I wonder if the Mongs know that the Washington Times is owned by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon and the Unification Church ("The Moonies" ), or that it editorially reflects the political views of the "True Parent"of the Moonie Cult ?
Objective researchers, journalists and commentators rarely cite uncorroborated information from the Washington Times. Let us not be gullible.
Jeff Harris
Bella Vista
The fleecing of rural Arkansas
In the early 1990 s, Benton County voters approved a 1-cent county sales tax. The cities, in their greed for the sales-tax dollar, convinced the state Legislature, which is governed by the Municipal League, that the cities are a part of the county, entitling the cities to a per capita share of the 1-cent county sales tax. This also means, with the cities being a part of the county, that the county is now part of the cities - thus the county is entitled to a per capita share of all city sales taxes. For this to be fair, the county's per capita share of the city sales taxes should be received back to the instance of the first collection of county sales taxes in the early 1990 s. To do otherwise would certainly verify the existence of the "city proletariat," which, some 200 years ago, President Thomas Jefferson worried might take place. He also felt the majority should rule, but fairly and reasonably. The county roads are sorely in need of asphalt paving. The rural residents are entitled to good roads, instead of the existing rough, gravel roads and chuck holes.
Jake Van Doren
Garfield
Reading continues, and continues
I'm reading the book Hiram Cooper suggested, but it's taking some time to go through its 800-plus pages. In the first few hundred, I've learned some interesting facts. The many Christian sects in the colonies were vastly different in their interpretations of the religion. Some were so strict, a person had to be a committed member to own property or have rights. One mandated church attendance; otherwise, a fine was imposed. There is too much detail to comment on it in a letter.
The claim is made that all the Founding Fathers were devout Christians. Cooper and Chuck Class have quoted Thomas Jefferson to support that claim, but I, too, can quote Jefferson from his own autobiography: "Millions of innocent men, women and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. "That was in his Notes on Virginia, 1782. There are many more, but note also that he authored his own version of the New Testament, using only what he considered the true teachings of the master. He had no use for the Old Testament. As an introduction to "Thomas Jefferson on Christianity and Religion," Jim Walker states," In spite of right-wing Christian attempts to rewrite history to make Jefferson into a Christian, little about his philosophy resembles that of Christianity. … Although Jefferson believed in a Creator, his concept of it resembled that of the god of deism, the term'Nature's God'used by deists of the time. "The explanation goes further, but that much makes the point. I have another excellent book to recommend to anyone seeking the truth: "Who Was Jesus ? "by D. M. Murdock. Meanwhile, I'll try to plow on through the one recommended to me.
Rod Greig
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