Managing the Jails

Was county right to renew deal with private contractor?

On Monday, Bowie County Commissioners agreed to allow LaSalle Corrections to continue managing the county’s Correctional Center and the Bi-State Justice Building jail for three more years.

The company, which has managed the facilities since 2013, was the only bidder for the contract, which put the county in something of a bind. During LaSalle’s tenure there have been four controversial inmate deaths and the facilities are not currently in compliance with state standards.

We want to know what you think. Should the county have agreed to continue with LaSalle Corrections, or should the county have kept looking for a new operator or even gone back to managing the jail itself?

Send your response (50 words maximum) to opinion@texarkanagazette.com by Wednesday, Jan. 22. You can also mail your response to the Texarkana Gazette Friday Poll, at P.O. Box 621, Texarkana, TX 75504 or drop it off at our office, 101 E. Broad St., Texarkana, Arkansas. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number. We will print as many responses as we can in next Friday’s paper.

Last Week: President and Iran

Last week’s question was about President Donald Trump’s recent actions on Iran. Do you support the course the president is laying with Iran? Or do you think he should take another direction?

No, I don’t agree with Trump’s (wag the dog tail) action against Iran. Now, he’s trying to backslide out of Iran crisis. However he could have stayed with the JCPOA and improved upon this treaty with Iran instead of withdrawing from it. Trump caused this problem for political reasons and looming impeachment trial. Trump is a bully and a “wanna be” dictator. I pray for America to survive this maniac. — R.K., Texarkana, Texas

Jesus said, “… neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they … turn again and rend you.” This, in a way, is what Obama did when he approved sending Iran over a billion dollars. Believing he could buy peace with “swine.” Iran took the “pearls” (money) to subsidize Soleimani’s ongoing murder and mayhem of Americans. — D.H.M., Texarkana, Arkansas

President Obama authorized hundreds of airstrikes against terrorists. Now, President Trump authorizes one that kills several terrorists including the world’s No. 1 terrorist and the Democrats are going crazy? This insane partisanship is the biggest reason I think the president is going to win re-election in a landslide. — R.W., Texarkana, Texas

This question is premature — we were fortunate Iran was conservative in their response to killing of Gen. Soleimani. Sanctions have been placed, now what? The briefing to Congress was said to be “vague and unspecific.” The story about “imminent” threat has changed three times. — J.B., Texarkana, Ark.

I do not support everything President Trump does or says, however Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani was a terrorist responsible for the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of American. The President was justified in having him killed. He is also correct in not escalating further after the Iranian missile attacks on air bases in Iraq. Radical Muslims have declared war against western civilization. It is a war we must win because if they dominate the world you can forget about religious freedom, human rights, women’s rights, or gay rights. — L.O., Texarkana, Texas

From www.facebook.com/texarkanagazette

■ Handled it perfectly

■ He showed them we won’t be pushed around. He went with sanctions instead of starting a war the Democrats said he was starting

■ As someone who has zero respect for him, he handled it correctly in my opinion.

■ 100% support President Trump! And I’m a military mother

■ I don’t think it was a bad thing to get rid of the guy. It wasn’t a bad thing to get rid of Bin Laden under Obama’s orders, either. There are some concerns with the way Trump carried it out.

■ I ask the Trump cult one thing. If there were actionable intelligence of an “imminent attack” against multiple embassies as the administration has stated, why were no embassy officials notified or evacuated? Were these embassy officials meant to be the sacrificial lamb in a pretext to war just to distract the politically naive from the impeachment trial?

■ A absolutely the right call! No bowing to our enemies!

■ What the idiots who demand answers or specifics don’t realize is if we announce or reveal too much of what we know, then the ‘bad guys’ can start their processes of elimination in determining how we gained that intel and who was involved in gaining that intel. We need to keep what we share about plots and plans and other sensitive information as vague as possible.

■ I think we have had enough of Iran.

■ What about Pelosi and how she is leading a vote to where Trump would need Congressional approval before authorizing our military — which is a decision that could dictate a win or a loss. Even though I believe that no superpower anywhere can stop a nuclear barrage, the time it takes to respond could mean the difference between minimal and total destruction.

■ I trust the president just as I trust the pilots of an airplane I fly on to do their job correctly.

■ I think President Trump did the only thing that could have been done. I support the president.

■ Yes … he did what other presidents should have done years ago. The demorats are simply making anything up as they know they don’t have anyone who can win in the next presidential election!

■ Y’all know he started this mess, Right? He did that because of the impeachment and to spite Obama.

■ Let’s all remember that this all started with him destroying the Iran treaty, which was doing its job, out of spite because it had Obama’s name on it.

■ I think the president is handling it just fine.

■ So, all those who support this wannabe dictator will be at the recruiting office first thing Monday morning to sign up for military service, along with their children, and grandchildren, if a war should erupt. Do what no one in his family ever did, including him, sacrifice.

■ How many of the people that support Trump have served in the military?

■ Love having a president that’s not afraid to do what needs to be done!

■ He’s doing it just right.

■ We hired him to do the job. I will leave it up to him. The last three people hired for the job took the pay he hasn’t and they failed

■ I think he is doing just what needs to be done!

■ POTUS made the correct choice; money and diplomatic efforts achieved nothing …

■ Tell me again why this was necessary? Trump seems to have a new reason every day.

■ He ordered the assassination of a foreign government without notifying Congress and then lied about the reason. It’s obvious the only purpose was to divert attention from (the) impeachment (proceedings) for (his) abusing power. Go figure.

■ Trump is doing his job. Keeping us safe. Let him continue his work. Also, no matter how much the Democrats whine and beat their chests with threats of impeachment and wasting our tax dollars, Trump has done more for our economy than the last two presidents combined.

■ Everyone will stand by him when the truth comes out. Things will soon be released that will shock you all.

■ When 9-11 happened, all I could think of was why didn’t we see this coming? Why weren’t any preventative measures taken? Why do we do too little too late? I consider this a preemptive move — for once done before a major event.