Thursday’s thumbs

The Hogs give Arkansans many reasons to celebrate

It’s Thursday and another chance to fire off a few up or down thumbs about some news developments in our neck of the woods and elsewhere:

Even as Gov. Asa Hutchinson is loosening the state’s restrictions on businesses, we send kudos to the members of the Benton County Quorum Court, County Judge Barry Moehring and the chambers of commerce in Rogers and Bentonville for rejecting a proposed resolution demanding an immediate end to covid-19 restrictions for businesses. Moehring said the measure would cause confusion. The chambers called the measure well intended but unneeded. Justices of the peace aren’t elected to dictate public health emergency responses. Such powers are best kept in the governor’s office, with the advice of state public health experts in the Arkansas Department of Health and beyond. The Quorum Court showed wisdom in rejecting one JPs premature and misplaced effort to inject Benton County into statewide decisions benefiting the public’s health.

In the midst of a pandemic, there are a lot of reasons Congress last year shoveled a lot of money out the door. The assistance was, primarily, a way to reduce the potential for covid-19 to wreck the economy even as it wrecked a lot of people’s lives. Now, as we’re almost a year into this mess, the Government Accountability Office reports the emergency loans made to small businesses have been added to a list of government programs considered at high risk of waste, fraud and mismanagement. You think? When Congress acts fast, it usually doesn’t protect American taxpayers that well. Now that billions of dollars have been doled out, it’s hard to bet against future discoveries of misused funds. Certainly, the programs had a desired impact, but GAO officials say it’s time, now, to get more intense in the oversight of how money is being used. The agency is right: Somebody needs to be checking to make sure pandemic loans and grants aren’t funding yachts, jets and trips to Vegas.

Fayetteville is the only school district in Arkansas to make seat belts standard on its larger buses, costing the district about $160,000. Does that mean the other districts are heartless? Not at all. It’s a real debate within education circles about whether seat belts on those large yellow vehicles are necessary and even some suggestions that they cause more problems than they’re ultimately worth. Some will take the approach that “if it saves one life, it’s worth it,” but in districts with more limited resources, that kind of investment would take money away from other vital programs. Kudos to Fayetteville for its approach, but one size does not fit all. We’re glad each school district continues to have the decision-making authority for what’s right in their particular circumstance. Buses, thankfully, have proven themselves to be largely safe methods of transportation for the state’s students.

The Arkansas Legislature is in session, so that naturally means attacks on the public’s right to information about how their tax dollars are spent and how public officials are conducting the public’s business. One recent proposal by Sen. Jason Rapert in Conway would allow public law enforcement agencies to charge “reasonable fees” for the work necessary to respond to requests for public records from Arkansans. That’s a squirrelly idea of government: Tax people to pay for the activities that create public records, then charge taxpayers who have the audacity to ask for public records that reflect how public officials are doing the jobs they are elected or hired to do. The harder, and more expensive, one makes it to acquire public records, the more cover is given for public officials who behave unethically or illegally — or even those who just make it a habit to say one thing but actually do something else. Access to public records is essential to good government. It’s only people on the inside who start thinking it’s a good idea to make it harder for Arkansans to see what their government is up to.

How about them Hogs? As we enter March, fans are finding themselves in a state of athletics nirvana as the men’s basketball team reaches No. 12 in the nation, according to The Associated Press, and improving their prospects for March Madness; the women’s basketball team moved up to No. 13 in the AP’s poll; the Diamond Hogs are ranked No. 1 in the nation in several polls; the men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams took SEC championships last weekend; and the UA’s softball and women’s tennis teams had exceptional performances last weekend. The traditional cheer says “Go Hogs, go”; well, they’re going, and strong. Congratulations to all the players, coaches and staff of UA athletics.

It was almost inevitable that the Expedition SUV crammed with 25 people when it collided with a tractor-trailer rig the other day, killing 13, in California involved a human smuggling operation. It turns out two vehicles packed with Mexican nationals entered the U.S. through a hole cut in a border fence. It’s the kind of tragedy that should remind everyone that border security is a necessity not only to prevent illegal immigration but eliminate or reduce the awful practices of smugglers profiting and endangering people desperate to get across the border. Everyone — Americans and folks from south of the United States — will benefit from a rational and secure immigration policy, if Washington can ever deliver it.