Going by the script
Have you ever noticed that politicians caught breaking the law or doing something wrong through a lengthy investigation all say pretty much the same thing?
This was a waste of taxpayer money.
I'm ready to move on.
We should put this behind us, and get back to the important business of governing the great people of (name your municipality).
It's their playbook.
DREW DAUGHERTY
Little Rock
We've heard this one
Did Queen Sarah just say "I just want to find $19,030, which is one more dollar than I spent on the lectern"?
JOE SEAMAN
Lakeview
Solution for problem
Dear Governor Sanders: You have a problem, and I'm sorry for that. I may have a solution. Your problem is that you/your party now have this lectern that you don't dare use because, well, it's caused you enough trouble already without you pulling it out of the closet and reminding taxpayers what they got for $19,000.
Here's the solution: I have a nice lectern, only slightly used, that I'd be willing to part with. Unlike the one you bought, the height on this one is adjustable. Angle of the platform for your speeches is also adjustable, and the design cleverly incorporates gravity to keep documents in place during use. As an added feature, this lectern leans heavily to the right.
Some might look at this lectern and say, "Hey, that's just an old music stand." It is true that it is an old music stand but, in the right hands, it could be so much more. For that reason, I'm willing to part with it for only $4,999. No travel case is needed. (Just toss it in the back of the truck.) There's no charge for my consult. I'll eat the credit card fee, and I'll personally deliver it same-day for free.
Problem solved. Deal?
DAVID H. LEWIS
Little Rock
Format unacceptable
Please add me to the ever-growing list of complaints re "don't fix it if it isn't broken." I too use a laptop and mouse. Probably most of my generation does.
I've been reading this paper for over 50 years, but if this is what you are going to offer us, this will be my last.
JAN BAKER
Hot Springs
Stop this foolishness
I'm a former 20th century Republican who switched back in 2000 to aligning more with the Democratic Party. I believe in full separation of church and state. Somewhere between the 20th and 21st century, the Republican Party has become a runaway train that has gone off the tracks.
In Arkansas we have a Republican governor and Legislature that turn out harebrained laws in an effort to destroy public education in favor of private schools and church-run education known as the LEARNS Act. Our governor accused public schools of "indoctrinating" (without proof) our children as a reason to move them to private/church-run schools funded by taxpayer money taken from public school funds. Are not students in these private/church schools also subject to being "indoctrinated" as well?
Now we have public school freshmen through senior years being required to complete 75 hours of "public service" before they can graduate while private and church LEARNS-funded schools are exempt from this requirement. Why? I see this as a further attempt by Republicans to destroy Arkansas' public school system.
The law leaves it up to each school district to define "public service" and decide how to implement, staff, fund, and document (if any) this requirement. There could be as many processes as there are school districts, a major lawsuit in the making. Who determines what is allowed "public service" and accepts liability for injury/death of a student while trying to complete their "public service" requirement? Few, if any, schools have a process in place to deal with this. Some have said they will just accept parents' word for this.
Arkansas needs a change in party leadership throughout offices from governor, cabinet officers, and through the state House and Senate to stop this foolishness.
CHARLES MARTIN
Hensley
Identify them further
I enjoy the lovely nature photos frequently published in the Arkansas section of the paper.
In Friday's paper the caption reads, "A bee flies around blooming flowers in North Little Rock on Thursday." Along with delighting us visually, why don't you educate us by identifying the flowers, trees, insects and birds in the photographs?
SUSAN WESTON
Little Rock