Letters

Put differences aside

The fact that help didn't come right away to Puerto Rico angers me. It was Sept. 20 when Puerto Rico was hit with Hurricane Maria. It has left the people of Puerto Rico without supplies and communication. People are suffering and scared because they don't know what to do. Help didn't come quickly, apparently because of political differences between Puerto Rico and the U.S.

A week after it happened, there wasn't gasoline for generators or cars. The majority of wooden houses were destroyed. They have estimated 40-45 people died. President Trump didn't act quick enough. It seems he believed that it wasn't a U.S. problem. The process has been slow because the U.S. appears to still be deciding if it should help or not.

It's no longer safe to come out at night. My friends and family didn't get the help and support they needed because of political differences? In times like this, politics should not matter. If that's the reason that help hasn't come, then we are failing as a human race.

Things are starting to get better now that supplies are coming in. About 37 percent of the island has phone communication. People who lost their houses are living in refuges and are getting what they need. Help arrived at the end, but it took two weeks to get there because of political conflict. In a crisis like this, political differences must be put aside to help those in need.

ELIAS PEREZ REYES

Little Rock

Very revealing stories

Reading the Sunday Democrat-Gazette last week, two stories jumped out at me.

First, that wonderful tradition of tossing live turkeys out of an airplane to entertain the folks at Yellville's annual Turkey Trot festival. According to the article, some of the turkeys can glide safely to the ground while others crash and suffer broken necks and are a little bloody. Does it remind you of something from the Dark Ages?

Then I read where President Trump still enjoyed a 54 percent approval rating among Arkansans. I was surprised for some strange reason.

Then it hit me how the juxtaposition of these items was so revealing; it did not make me feel proud to be an Arkansan.

JAY WILLIAMS

Hot Springs Village

Way to pay for roads

As you may have heard, the Arkansas Highway Commission is worried about having enough money to do road repairs. They wanted to take money from the General Tax Fund and the governor pushed back, saying that that would cut into public safety and education.

Well, I have come up with an idea on how to fund the road repairs. As you know, if you have certain cars with a nice engine that enable you to safely merge onto a highway, you have to pay a gas-guzzler tax. At the same time you are providing more money to the highway department in the way of the tax you pay on all the gas you are using. All that has to be done is to charge all vehicles that get more than 20 mpg a tax which we will call the gas-sipper tax. The electric cars will also have to pay an extra tax, as they do use the roads. The final part is all bicycles will have to have a license plate and also pay a road usage tax, as money from the roads goes to delineate bike routes.

PHILIP SHERLIN

Little Rock

Trump needs support

I'm an 86-year-old native of Little Rock, except for a paid vacation and room and board free for four years compliments of our U.S. Navy. Reading the letter in the paper from Mrs. Jeannie Smith of North Little Rock, I have a question: How can our president accomplish anything if he has no support? He's attempting to make improvements and changes in our government that have been needed since I was born in 1931.

And where is the money coming from? We can't stay a free nation to the world. Stop giving America away as Bill and Hillary have and lots of both Democrats and Republicans have since I was born.

BILL HOLMAN

Little Rock

Divided on the budget

The Oct. 8 Sunday paper covering congressional voting covered a 10-year Democratic budget, Republican Study Group budget, 10-year Republican budget, Black Caucus budget, and a Progressive Caucus budget.

This shows how divided Congress is and why nothing gets done. What happened to the people's budget that funds the needs of the government, reduces the debt and moves us toward a balanced budget? What we need is a balanced budget amendment plus term limits--no more than two terms--to get rid of the career politicians that only cater to special interests and big money.

Contact your representatives to move toward meeting the budget needs of the country and the need for term limits.

TOM OLSON

Benton

Made a mistake, paid

I could almost feel the hate and venom flowing from the comment of Lyn Grimes of Hot Springs Village in her recent letter regarding the talk of Duke Cunningham to the Hot Springs Village Tea Party.

I am proud to call Duke Cunningham a friend. Duke was a fellow naval aviator, a brother. He made a serious mistake, paid the price, and is successfully resurrecting his life. Wish I had known about the meeting; I would have attended.

Forget the "holier than thou" attitude, Ms. Grimes, and practice a little forgiveness.

HAP PETERSON

Hot Springs Village

He's doing great work

I get so disgusted when I read these moronic letters bashing the president, which are displayed on the Voices page every morning. How stupid must one be not to recognize the great work President Trump is doing to make America great again?

I am thinking about moving to New York where Trump has built an empire and the people there admire and respect him. Adios.

GARY LEMON

Cabot

Editorial on 10/22/2017

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