Letters to the editor

The people’s checkbook Dear editor:

I want to commend you and your staff at The Sentinel-Record for the fine piece of journalism uncovering how City Manager David Frasher spent at least $55,000 in taxpayers’ money to remodel his personal office.

I thought when I moved here from the Washington, D.C., area I had seen it all. I guess I was wrong.

In the D.C. area, you had officials who misspent taxpayers’ money for sunroofs, leather interiors, and sound systems in their government vehicles. Designer drapery, custom wall paint and carpentry and furniture in their government offices. And misuse of government credit cards, including paying all sorts of shenanigans.

The common thread of their responses was that they had the authority. But most of them felt they could get away with it. They did for a while until the media discovered them.

Everyone knew that it was a horrible abuse of power and these supposed public servants had little or no respect for the people they vowed to serve.

Many of those questionable expenditures, a few thousand dollar here and a few thousand dollars there, were made within governments with budgets in the billions of dollars. The taxpayers live in one of the richest areas in the country. But even the federal government has the sense to impose a $5,000 limit for remodeling offices.

Hot Springs is a very different situation. You can buy a three-bedroom house in Hot Springs for less than $55,000. The per capita income for residents of Hot Springs is around $20,000. But in Hot Springs the city manager has the authority to spend

10 times for remodeling his office than a federal government employee.

Let’s put it simply: In Hot Springs,

$55,000 can buy a three-bedroom house;

$55,000 is income for two and half people who live here, and you can buy a real good car for $55,000. To Mr. Frasher, spending $55,000 of taxpayers’ money for his office is his mistake.

If he made such a bad mistake, why doesn’t he open up his own wallet instead of using the people’s checkbook?

If Mr. Frasher really felt spending that type of money was in the best interest of the city, he should have taken his idea to the city board of directors to let them decide. They are the people elected by the taxpayers to decide how their money should be spent — not Mr. Frasher.

When I moved back to Arkansas, I was faced by a real scandal here in Garland County. It was a novelty they didn’t try this one in D.C. In Garland County, elected officials would “resign” from their offices, start drawing a pension and then return to the payroll and draw both a salary and a pension.

To no surprise, the voters rose up and took those elected officials and others permanently off the payroll. I predict that this procurement issue will become a similar issue during the next election. And the members of the city board had best make the correct decisions on this issue that are in the best interests of the residents of Hot Springs. Jim Keary Hot Springs

Life can be very fragile Dear editor:

Recently our nation witnessed the worst mass murder shooting in American history out in Las Vegas. This shocking, horrific hailstorm of metal rained down upon a crowd of 22,000 unsuspecting, innocent people, killing 58 of those poor souls, while injuring almost 500 others!

It has now been a few weeks since this senseless nightmare happened on Sunday, Oct. 1. The investigating authorities are still puzzled and struggling to come up with the answer of exactly — why — this terroristic attack occurred!

Only time will tell concerning this big question, but there is one other very important point that we should all be keeping firmly in our minds.

Just what am I referring to? It is the fact that not one of those folks who died that day realized when they work up that morning — that it would be their very last day to be alive here in this world!

The very same thing was true for almost 3,000 innocent victims on the tragic 9/11 terror attack which saw those twin towers collapsing! None of those people knew that would be their last day.

Life can be very fragile and uncertain! “Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12).

And there are so many other ways that any of us could come to the end of our lives. We don’t even know if we are going to wake up in the morning!

I remember a true story that was reported a few years ago about how a large sinkhole opened up suddenly underneath a man’s house in Florida. The man was still asleep in his bed and the floor collapsed, causing the man and his bed to fall into this unusually deep sinkhole. That man was never found!

Several years ago there was a nice young man about 21 years old who looked like the picture of perfect health. One night he went to sleep and never woke up again! Apparently a blood vessel had ruptured in his brain, causing a massive brain bleed.

Fortunately, he was already a true Christian and he is now undoubtedly in heaven with his Savior Jesus.

How certain are you that when your life ends, that you know without a doubt that you would go to heaven for eternity?

You keep saying that you will turn to God one of these days. Really?

One of Satan’s favorite strategies is to convince you that there is plenty of time. Is there?

The Bible tells us that we all fall short of God’s perfect standard (Romans 3:23). We can never be good enough by trying to do enough “good works.” Impossible!

Turn to Jesus Christ today, confessing

that you realize that you, too, are a sinner in God’s eyes. Turn from your sins and ask Jesus Christ to forgive you, to save you and to please come into your life.

Trust Him alone for your salvation. Lloyd Hoffman Hot Springs