Paved with gold?

Dear editor:

When it’s money, it’s never enough for the Hot Springs Board of Directors, City Manager David Frasher or the other minions in front or behind the scenes who run our city.

Now they’d like the quorum court to do their dirty work by voting to reallocate $350K from a prior millage, to “improve city streets.” This is the same board and city management who have treated county residents with utter disdain in recent history.

I don’t particularly like or trust county Judge Rick Davis, but he noted correctly in this Sunday’s paper, that due to a bond issue (Pave it Forward) passed in 2016, the county already voluntarily gives the city $7.3 million annually for this express purpose.

My advice to Davis would be to recommend the quorum court give the city the 350K, then stop giving them the $7.3 million. Let these buffoons cut off their noses to spite their faces.

In the end, regardless of the outcome or amount of money, our inner city streets will continue to be ignored and fall into disrepair. My own and several other letters last month pointed out the ridiculous and inefficient cost of $550,000 to pave a mere 4 miles of streets last year, something David Frasher (a guy nobody wants to get into a “smug-off” with) actually bragged about in this paper.

Indeed, City Engineer David Carnahan on Sunday, along with Larry Williams, said the additional $350K, if received, would cover “2.5 miles” worth of paving. I don’t know who is getting these contracts from a material or installation standpoint, but someone is getting rich and our streets aren’t getting any better.

In the end, I think any amount of money you give our current city management will be wasted. You could give these guys a snow cone stand in the Sahara and it would come out a loser. Then they’d have the gall to hire a consult for a couple hundred thousand, and come back to tell you they need more money to open a Starbucks.

Anthony Lloyd Hot Springs