Who is most qualified?

Dear editor:

Several contributors to this page have suggested voting out all of the incumbents. And while I can concur with that in a general sense, I think all voters should take a good hard look at who they are putting in their place. A local example would be the race for mayor of Hot Springs.

The incumbent is Pat McCabe. His challenger is Brenda Brandenburg. Mayor McCabe was appointed to his position by the board of directors after the previous mayor resigned. He was the logical choice since he missed becoming mayor in the last election by 40 votes. Plus, he has served on the board of directors in the past.

The challenger, Ms. Brandenburg, is a registered nurse who has never held public office but has been active in the community. It was she who tried to stop the demolition of the Majestic Hotel by suing the city. While I shared her heartbreak in seeing that icon go away, in the end that is what had to happen. After looking at her website the other things that might qualify her to be mayor is that she recently opened a small business in Hot Springs — a gluten-free bakery — and she loves this town.

I think it’s safe to say that anyone who runs for this office loves this town.

The incumbent Pat McCabe not only has his experience of public service in the Spa City, but he has for the past 30 years been the CEO of a major institution here — Levi Hospital. I could list scores of local organizations he has volunteered his time to, and there have been countless times I’ve seen him taking part in local functions like Gallery Walk, the St. Patrick’s Parade, neighborhood improvement events, youth programs, community bicycle rides and the list goes on and on. The man is very much involved in this community.

But what makes him stand out from anyone else who has ever run for mayor is that Pat has the experience of working to open a business on Bathhouse Row. Dealing with the federal government on that level is a bureaucratic nightmare, and the McCabes have survived the ordeal. Soon the long-defunct Hale Bath

House will be a thriving hotel and eatery.

I too think we need to vote out a lot of incumbents, but we need to be sure we aren’t short changing ourselves. In the race for mayor, who do you think is the most qualified — the incumbent or the challenger? Bud Kenny Hot Springs

Supports Democrats Dear editor:

Why I’m voting for Jared and Hayden: Jared Henderson and Hayden Shamel are two great Democratic candidates who are running for governor and U.S. Congress (Arkansas District 4) with an opportunity to defeat Gov. Asa Hutchinson and U.S. Congressman Bruce Westerman, and they’re both educators in the public school system.

Jared came up with a comprehensive plan to raise minimum pay for schoolteachers, to protect the teacher retirement system, to provide educators quality health care, and to implement ways for teachers to build on their careers in the classroom.

Hayden is a high school English and Spanish teacher and she shows a lot of success to her students in the classroom as well as for the students to be educated in core subjects ranging from United States History to American Literature to Algebra, etc.

Election Day is on Nov. 6 and make your votes count. Shannon Rivas Hot Springs

Supports Shamel Dear editor:

The recent appointment of an obvious bully, emotionally unstable and perjurer to the highest court in the land has broken my heart. Yet, like millions of other true patriots — those of us who still believe in and cherish our Constitution and democracy — my spirit is not even slightly dented.

We are even more committed to upholding and electing decent candidates of integrity as well as ability. Arkansas Congressional District 4 Candidate, Hayden Shamel, is just such a person. I was appalled to learn that our current Congressman supported wholeheartedly Bret Kavanaugh, even after the outrageous performance we all witnessed. I was also shocked and saddened to read that Mr. Westerman opposes an Arkansas ballot item that would raise the minimum wage. What would motivate him to do this?

All Arkansans are painfully aware that we are among one of the poorest of states. Every day I speak to people who must hold down two and even three jobs just to make ends meet! Apparently, he just does not care about the plight of every day working people. (I am also befuddled as to why Mr. Westerman did not attend the recent candidate forum here in Hot Springs — his hometown!)

I have heard Hayden Shamel say she will work as hard as she can so that we no longer have the very sad class of Americans labeled, “the working poor.” I have also heard Mr. Westerman say that the rural areas of Arkansas are doing quite well. I am amazed that he would say such a blatant untruth. I have traveled through many of the rural areas of our state. Much of what I see is a pathetic and depressing lack of services and opportunity.

Contrary to his falsehood, Ms. Shamel has recognized the desperate needs of rural Arkansas. As an educator, she will work for a superior education for all of our students, regardless of ZIP code. She also will undertake bringing internet and cell phone service to our entire state. We all know that Arkansas’ current coverage is woefully lacking. How can our state ever hope to entice decent jobs or provide good education without such? As a senior I am so impressed with Hayden’s plan to bring down the cost of prescription drugs.

She is also adamant in her promise to work tirelessly to protect both our Social Security and Medicare. Yes, it is a truly sad time for our country. We are experiencing such divisions and misplaced loyalties. However, the hope and future for our country is in leaders such as Hayden Shamel.

The survival of our democracy depends upon people who truly care about all Arkansans and Americans. This is exactly why Hayden Shamel has my family’s support and vote. Carol Klingbell Hot Springs

Just as you are Dear editor:

In my last letter, I told the true story about how Jesus saved me, changed me and put me on a new path in life. I admitted that I traveled down the wrong path and found out the very, very hard way that I could never find lasting peace and satisfaction without God in the center of my life!

I would imagine that many of you who read that may have said to yourselves that you certainly never went that far down the sinful path, so you may somehow conclude that God will look upon you much more favorably.

Wrong! You may possibly be an overall “good person” when you compare yourself to many other people, but what about how you compare to God? God and his standards are 100 percent perfect!

In that comparison — none of us is very good! “For all have sinned, all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23)

Some of you may be thinking that you just couldn’t do all of the changes you need to make before you could be saved. If that should be true, here’s some encouragement.

The late great evangelist, Billy Graham, said, “Salvation is free to us, but it cost Jesus his life.”

“If you choose to receive his gift, that does not mean you have to clean up your life before you can be saved. The Lord knows you don’t have the power to do that.”

“You must come to him in repentance (being willing to change directions), and then His Holy Spirit will move in, take up residence in you, and empower you to walk away from sin.”

“That’s why Jesus paid for our sins with his blood — to set us on a new path with the Holy Spirit as our daily guide.” (quoted from “Where I Am” by Billy Graham, p. 22)

So as you can see, you can come to God — just as you are! God loves you and wants to save you from destruction!

Romans 5:1 shows us the way: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I have tried to point out how you can be sure that you spend eternity with God in heaven, but this new life from God begins immediately whenever you get saved. It is new life for both now and eternity.

I used to be a very liberal young adult until I was saved and Jesus gave me my spiritual eyesight.

Yes, I now am able to see things in an entirely different way!

After Paul’s dramatic conversion on the Damascus Road, he loved what he had so fervently hated. At last he could see evil as evil and good as good, and according to Acts 9:18, “there fell from his eyes something like scales.”

“His values were straightened out because his nature had been changed by the redeeming grace of Christ.” (Decision magazine, October 2018)

I truly believe this explains why America is now so divided! Lloyd Hoffman Hot Springs

Vote ‘no’ to GOP Dear editor:

For those who have not voted yet (and I encourage you to do so!) please consider the following:

President Trump is not up for re-election, but he might as well be if you vote our current GOP congressional candidates to remain in office. These “lemmings” have stood by and let this ordinary con man turn our country into an armed camp of hate and discord with his lies, name calling and outright illegal statements about our country and the Democrat party.

His rantings about giving the middle class a tax cut in two weeks says two things. It can’t be done and it is an admission that his tax legislation really is only for the very rich and giant corporations that will remain in place while for the rest of us the tax relief goes away shortly.

His claims that the Democrats are responsible for the current immigration is an outright lie! Granted, we need immigration reform, but the GOP has done nothing to help with the problem. Is he going to use guns to mow down the immigrants if and when they reach our border? Will he continue spending vast amounts of money to build a wall that won’t work? Will he even consider going to the source of these desperate families’ home countries to aid in fighting the drug cartels and corrupt governments they are trying to escape?

No, he spends our tax funds to travel around the country ranting about how great he is and calling people names like a sixth-grade bully to those who disagree with him, crazed mobs.

Trump has proved a con man, a bigot, a womanizer and a moron! He is certainly not the type of man who we need as the leader of the free world. He is not the solution, but the problem and the current cause of the discord and hate that is dividing our country today.

His trade deals are a disaster to our farmers and small businesses. His love of Russia’s Putin, Korea’s Un, and now the Saudi prince, while insulting our close allies, is making him a disgrace to America and the entire world.

His refusal to admit our world is in danger of imploding due to global warming, as he courts the oil and coal industry to keep business as usual, will destroy our own habitat.

The United States has been the leader of the free world. We cannot continue to play that role if we have an egomaniac at the helm. Your vote will assure that will not happen. Do for this yourself, your family, your grandchildren and your country. It will be a great service. Vote “no” to the current GOP candidates! R. Bruce Smith Hot Springs