Voters ‘misled’
Dear editor:
Myself and numerous other letter writers tried to warn Hot Springs taxpayers beforehand that the Majestic Park project they were hoodwinked into by Steve Arrison would turn out to be nothing but a money pit that would enrich a few already wealthy businesses here. Once again, Arrison and the board of directors pulled the wool over your eyes, as evidenced by the new revelations this paper reported Tuesday.
Turns out the $8.5 million taxpayers approved for five baseball fields has now ballooned to over $11 million. This is what happens when you bid an “open” contract that allows general contractors like Hill & Cox to include overruns. Anyone with any sense should have known this project would be fraught with conflicts of interest when the first contract was awarded to B&F Engineering, whose principal owner was a co-chair on the very committee that publicly advertised and advocated for the passage of the bonds. B&F got a cool half a million for “consulting and planning.”
The article cited $2 million already allotted for “site preparation.” Site preparation? It’s five baseball fields being put on land that already had baseball fields.
So now, after selling voters on extending the food and beverage tax into what will eventually be perpetuity, Arrison now says to keep the cost in line with the original price, “60 items (originally promised parts or facilities) will be removed from the project.”
Perhaps Arrison himself put it best when he admitted voters bought a “Cadillac,” but will now receive a “Chevrolet.” So in other words, voters were misled and defrauded. Arrison was quick to point out many of the amenities would actually be included, but now paid for separately through other board of directors machinations. Apparently, even lighting the fields is now an optional feature. On your new “Chevrolet.” Will there even be scoreboards?
There you have it, taxpayers — business as usual in Hot Springs, with a handful of rich people getting richer at the expense of you, the taxpayer. You got taken. And will continue to do so as long as our current board of directors, city management, and Steve Arrison remain in their positions. Semper Fi.
Gunnery Sgt. Ron Collins, USMC retired Hot Springs