City needs better plan

I am so disappointed that once again Mayor Frank Scott is wanting to increase the sales tax collected in Little Rock. A sales tax is the most regressive way to raise money. Surely our esteemed mayor can come up with something that doesn’t harm the people who have very little discretionary money, making them pay the same as others of us who can easily pay an increase to the sales tax. There must be a better way to increase the revenue for the city without adding more expense to people who have to watch every penny. Sales tax is the easy and lazy way to get more money for the city.

It seems Mayor Scott has been no friend of the police since before he was elected. If there is any increase in revenue, I believe it should go to hiring more police and firefighters and give them a pay raise that they deserve. It is ironic that the poorer neighborhoods with the most crime are called on to pay more tax and not get the benefit of enjoying a safer neighborhood. The people living in poor neighborhoods deserve to feel safe. In addition to the safety issue, our roads and bridges are shameful. Improving the infrastructure of Little Rock would be welcomed by everyone.

Also, Mayor Scott is going to add to the city bureaucracy by adding someone, apparently to gerrymander the wards in the city, to better fit Mayor Scott’s agenda. I hope the board of directors can come up with a better plan for raising money and for more practical use of the revenue. BONNIE HOLMES Little Rock